THE SOUND OF SNOW
by deetatarant
Summary: FINAL PART
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Inspired by Chris Carter's 'Millennium' and includes 'missing' scenes from "ADRIFT", season 2 of TW at the start of the story. It's an experimental piece so it might be a bit disjointed. Not fluffy either. (Not a cross over).**

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: ONE**

Gwen waited until she was certain that Jack was out of ear shot, she watched Tosh offer up a sympathetic smile and the headed out of the board room to find Ianto. Predictably he was at the coffee machine preparing a much needed drink by the look of the taught expression on his face. Coughing slightly she edged closer and stood with her arms folded across her chest, trying to assume an air of authority that she didn't ever feel when in the young man's presence. Ianto continued his work as he spoke.

"What is it Gwen?"

He knew damn well, of course.

"Tell me about these the Rift spikes and the missing people. I know you know." Her voice only betrayed a slight tremor but it was enough to reveal her feelings that being shoved out of the loop was not something she was at all happy with.

Ianto exhaled patiently. "No." There was no point in dressing the reply with a sugar coating.

Gwen glared at him. "I'm ordering you to tell me what this is about." Pulling rank. Ianto happily ignored it. "I only take orders from Jack, you should know that. He has made the decision about this matter, you will have to take it up with him."

He poured himself a mug of coffee and leaned against the counter feeling incredibly tired.

"I'm asking you. You know what this is about."

Ianto nodded. "Yes I do and I am not telling you, it is not my place."

Gwen dropped her arms and balled her fists with frustration. "What, you think you have a right to withhold that kind of information from the families of those missing people? There are dozens of them Ianto, families living without knowing......"

He lowered his mug. "Don't Gwen. You have issue with Jack's desicion then take it up with him, I am not your emotional punch bag, or his for that matter. I am tired of being the go between when you two disagree with each other and I do not appreciate the attempt at emotional blackmail."

Gwen baulked. "You must see that he is wrong?"

"It doesn't matter what I see. I trust Jack's judgement......"

"No, you're just too afraid to stand up to him in case he dumps you!"

Ianto fixed her with an angry glare. "You have no idea about my relationship with Jack. You're always defying him, questioning him and undermining his authority. He's doing his best Gwen and each time you try to pull him down....."

"Because he's wrong Ianto!" She was veritably bristling now but she took a pace back at the quiet venom in Ianto's voice.

"You hurt him and I swear to God you will pay for it. I will not betray his trust in me for you and your over enthusiastic humanity. Jack has his reasons, I happen to agree with them. There are some things that cannot be put right Gwen. It was the hardest lesson I ever had to learn and 2 people died because I didn't learn it fast enough. If he is wrong then stop openly defying him, talk to him in private and try to be reasonable instead of pushing him and yelling at him."

"What are you, his guard dog? Good old loyal Ianto blindly following be......"

Ianto forced himself to remain calm. He was angry beyond measure with both Jack and Gwen primarily because he knew that they were both right in their completely incompatible ways. "Because no one else would want to fuck me? Or because you made the wrong choice?"

"Now who's being petty?" She snapped back feeling a degree of victory.

Ianto finally fixed her with a level, penetrating stare. "I am tired of the two of you flirting around each other, pushing and teasing and making it downright impossible some days for the rest of us to get on. I am tired of you disagreeing, disobeying and getting away with it. I am sick of being the piece of fluff he's picked up because he can't have what he wants. I will not help you Gwen because quite frankly right now I do not give a stuff anymore. Sort it out with Jack, stop trying to bypass him through me!" He slammed the mug down and pushed past her making his way in the direction of the locker rooms to get his coat. Gwen stood there gaping at his departing back, thinking that maybe she had seriously over stepped the mark with her younger colleague.

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Jack pulled up the SUV outside of Gwen's flat. He couldn't remember feeling this emotionally wrecked in such a long time..... not since the Valiant, but even that hadn't left him feeling like this. Gwen was sat there in the passenger seat glaring out of the window through teary eyes. If he were honest with himself, he wasn't that sympathetic toward her plight and he was hoping she had learnt something, what smarted was the unbelievable lack of trust she had shown and the fact the she had put Ianto in an untenable position, a discussion he was yet to have. He sat there hands still clenched around the steering wheel.

"Take a couple of days off." He said flatly.

Gwen nodded, wishing he would reach out with some word of comfort.

"And Gwen.... Don't ever come between me and Ianto like that again. Your actions have seriously compromised our relationship both personal and professional, you had no right to put him in that position."

Gwen got out of the car and slammed the door shut and Jack took off at speed back to the Hub.

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Ianto was sitting in Jack's office waiting for him when the man himself strode into the room and pulled off his mantel and slung it over the couch. Jack slumped in the chair behind his desk and Ianto sat there, hands clasped in his lap, his chin dipped down slightly, really unsure where to look. Jack watched him for some moments before speaking.

"Why?"

Ianto looked up to meet his gaze, surprised to find no anger there, only hurt.

"Because you have to stop keeping secrets, because Gwen has to learn to trust you, because I am stuck between the two of you and this unrequited thing you have going. Shall I go on?"

"I trusted you Ianto."

"Yes, you did and once again I've let you down because I had to follow my conscience. I thought she had a right to know. The only reason I found out was because of the mess you left behind when you ran off and I had to deal with it alone Jack, that place almost folded because of it. I'm sorry Jonah and Nikki Bevan got hurt, I truly am. I was not expecting that. But if you cannot learn to share these things that you guard so closely how are we meant to cope the next time you run out on us?" Ianto's voice remained calm but he wrung his hands as he continued to speak. "You ask too much of me Jack. I've had to lie for you, deflect the others away, cover things up. I thought; I'd hoped I'd stop being that person once Lisa was gone."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "So what, now you're conscience is a little clearer?"

Ianto lurched to his feet. "Fuck off Jack." He turned to leave the room, but Jack was quickly up and yanked him by the arm before he got two paces towards the door. He sharply spun the younger man round and Ianto hissed at the pain.

"Don't you dare walk out on this. I am not done talking with you yet."

Ianto shoved himself free. "Are speaking as my commanding officer or my part time shag?"

Jack back pedalled a pace in surprise. "What?"

Ianto stood there breathing heavily nursing at his bruised forearm. "I was actually trying to help both of you, believe it or not and I know you don't. You just think I'm some wounded jealous idiot whose good for a fuck when the going gets a bit tough. That's fine for you Jack, but it isn't for me. You talk about trust, but you don't trust me. I warned you months ago that would this would happen, that Gwen would do this and you did not listen. You tell me that this place isn't Torchwood One, you're right, because she gets away with every rule that she breaks whilst the rest of us have to pick up the pieces." He was trembling with rage, his face red.

Jack was speechless, but he ran his hand over his brow trying to gather his thoughts.

"Ianto."

But the young man turned away and stalked out of the room closing the door behind him with such force that the glass fractured. He didn't notice the sympathetic look Owen threw his way as he stormed out of the Hub.

Jack just stood there alone in his office in stunned silence..........


	2. Chapter 2

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART TWO**

Ianto marched up the stairs to the tourist office using the exercise to divert his excess angst away from festering in his brain. He was just plain tired of everything and felt so emotionally charged he could've powered half of Cardiff for a week. The whole Flat Holm saga had worn him down at a time when he was still dealing with images of Jack and Gwen dancing at her wedding like the two of them had just tied the knot themselves. Ianto was fluctuating between his own his own jealousy, his anger and his exhaustion and felt equally confused by the fact that he knew that Jack really did love him in his own Jack way of doing things. Then he recalled Jonah's screams. The kind of sound that makes you feel like your flesh is being stripped from your bones as you lie there awake unable to blank it out. He was shuddering by the time he stepped through the 'secret' door. He waited for it to close behind him and then pulled out his Ipod, scrolling through a choice of tracks to listen to on the walk home, anything to block out his ability to think about the last 48 hours of his life. Anything to not see the look of hurt on Jack's face when he realised Ianto's betrayal. Not that Ianto really considered it that. He was sorry for what he had done, but not for Jack or Gwen's sakes, but for Jonah and Nikki, that was something that would gnaw at his conscience for a long time to come.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jack hauled in a deep breath and sighed as the cog door rolled to a close. He caught sight of Owen watching him from his desk and the look of abject disapproval on the medic's face. Jack turned away and went back to his desk wondering just how on Earth he was going to sort this mess with Ianto out. What stung the most was the fact that Ianto was right, on so many levels. Jack did have issue with Gwen, had always tried to cut her more slack, but not because he fancied her. She was a reminder to them all about being human, something the rest of them had lost touch with. Maybe there wasn't room for it in Torchwood, perhaps his efforts could easily be mistaken for attraction, Gwen was hot, vibrant and so alive and Jack often found himself pulled into that allure like a drowning man. He knew how the others saw it, and was well aware of how Gwen reacted to it. Yes he loved her, the ideal, the beautiful, intelligent woman with family, stability and a caring eye. Perhaps it had gone too far for too long, but Jack knew that he needed her. The trouble was he needed Ianto a hell of a lot more for completely the opposite reasons.......

"Jack?"

He hadn't heard Owen enter the room.

"Yes Owen."

The acerbic dead medic strode into the room and took the chair facing Jack. "You're a prat. I suggest you go after him and sort this out before it gets out of control." Owen had folded his arms and was glaring.

Jack glared back.

"You've only got yourself to blame for this mess Jack. Ianto's been trying damned hard to stay on top of the whole Flat Holm thing ever since he found out about it and Gwen bloody Cooper deserves a kick up the arse, once again. But you know that already, don't you. You can't keep on hiding things from us like this. I know Flat Holm is a bit of an emotional bomb to deal with, but have a little faith Jack. You knew Gwen would react this way and if you'd have told her from the outset it may have been handled better, by her and by you. The only victims in this whole fiasco are the Bevans and Ianto. You need to talk to him."

Jack picked up a pen on his desk and then put it back down.

"He disobeyed a direct order Owen."

Owen actually rolled his eyes in a way disconcertingly similar to Ianto. "Yep he did so you give him hell, meanwhile Gwen does that almost every day and not a word is said, short of a bit of a flirt and a grope. Ianto is your partner Jack, whether you like it or not and your first responsibility is to him, outside of Torchwood, because everything he does, he does for you, to help you and protect you. You treat him like shit you undermine him and make him feel like he isn't worth anything."

"And you know this how?"

"Because unlike you, I make the time to talk to him. Since I've been dead Jack, he and Tosh have kept me sane. They've made sure I am not going stir crazy every night because I don't sleep anymore, but of course you haven't noticed that because you're too busy eyeing up someone else's wife."

Jack bristled. "It isn't like that."

"I'm not the person you need to be convincing of that."

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Ianto pulled out his head phones as he stepped through his front door. He tucked his Ipod into his coat pocket and hung up the coat before ambling down the hallway to his kitchen. His mobile rang and Ianto took the call from a withheld number.

_He kept walking, turning into his neat little kitchen and going straight to his coffee machine._

"_Hi Lisa, what time are due home?"_

"_Baby I'm running a few minutes late, just missed the bus but I won't be long. Can you start the pasta going for me?"_

_He smiled reaching down a mug. "Sure sweetheart. Would like the basil pesto?" He went to the fridge balancing the phone under his ear against his shoulder as he got out the milk and a packet of coffee, thinking about their wonderful wedding, the sunny weather and Lisa's Mam crying in the front pew._

"_Would love it...ooh here's the bus, gotta go."_

_He hung up and put the phone on the countertop and continued to make his coffee, humming happily to himself and glancing over the latest masterpiece penned by his four year old daughter._

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Jack frowned at the engaged tone of Ianto's mobile and left yet another message when it went over to voice mail. Ianto was not in the habit of holding prolonged phone conversations. It had been almost 4 hours since he had left the Hub and Jack had already checked the location of his phone and car. Ianto was at home apparently. Jack sighed realising that maybe the younger man really just didn't want to talk to him, though there was always the possibility he was talking to his mother, Mrs Jones could talk the hind legs off a dead donkey. Deciding he'd had enough of the undone paperwork on his desk Jack pulled on his great coat and headed out to Ianto's flat.

He knocked on the double glazed door and got no answer even though he could see through the frosted glass that someone was standing in the hallway. Jack got out his keys and let himself in, dismayed to find that Ianto had been standing there and obviously ignoring him. Jack closed the door and turned, about to speak when he realised that Ianto hadn't so much as budged. His hands hung limply at his side, the mobile in his right hand.

"Ianto?"

With a jerk Ianto swung round, looking a little dazed he saw his phone in his hand and frowned at it before disconnecting the call. Jack paused in front of him.

"Ianto, I....are you ok?"

Ianto shook his head as if to clear it. "You followed me home."

Jack shrugged, but Ianto was squinting and looking confused. "It's almost dark, what time is it?"

"It's 9pm Ianto. I've been trying to call you for hours. I got a little worried."

Ianto looked down at the mobile in his hand. "9pm? But I only just got in the door. It was 4:15. I. Oh, right. I'll er....put some coffee on." He pocketed his Nokia and went to the kitchen, wondering why he was in there again so soon. Hadn't he just made coffee? Lisa? Jack followed him startled by Ianto's apparent disorientation.

"You want some coffee Jack?" he needed something to ground himself from the day dream.

Jack nodded. "Yes, thanks. Are you ok, you seem a little.... weird."

Ianto reached down a couple of mugs. "I'm fine. Tired I guess."

Jack perched himself on a stool by the breakfast bar. "We need to talk Ianto."

Ianto hesitated mid stride and turned and faced the man before him, his friend, lover and boss and God knows whatever else he was.

"I know."

Jack was heart broken to note the look of defeat of Ianto's face.

"I'm not mad at you Ianto. I understand what you did, why you did it and I know I am a stupid, stubborn impossible thing sometimes. I'm sorry it got so far that you felt it was the only way to act."

Ianto turned back to the coffee and the mugs and then just exhaled and pushed them aside so he could sit on the bench. "We can't go on the way we are Jack."

"So lets change it."

Ianto shook his head all he could think of was Lisa and making things right with her. It was madness she was long gone, alone somewhere trapped in the blackness and some how...... Ianto squeezed his eyes shut.

"I'm tired Jack. Can we talk about this tomorrow when I feel less like a train wreck?"

Jack got to his feet and came over standing between Ianto's parted knees and resting his hands on the younger man's thighs. They rested their foreheads against one another, automatically.

"Can I stay?"

Ianto nodded. "You know you don't have to ask that."

"I think maybe today I do."

Ianto closed his eyes and leant forward against Jack draping his arms over his shoulders and nuzzling his face against Jack's neck, exhaustion overwhelming him and Jack felt his weight slacken and become heavy against him.

"Come, on Ianto. Lets get you to bed."

**AN; All will not become clear.... I think I have confused my small brain...... Hope this makes some sense but not too much! Hmmmmmm.**


	3. Chapter 3

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART THREE**

Ianto was happily compliant as Jack steered him in the direction of the bedroom and put him to bed, still dressed. Ianto lay there, on his back and yanked off his shoes and socks and stared at the ceiling for a moment as Jack settled down beside him. He felt odd, out of sorts and it made no sense. He could feel Jack's intense gaze upon him.

"You really aren't in there, are you?"

Ianto smiled at the comment and pulled out his mobile, the battery was almost flat so he leaned over and plugged it into the charger.

"I just don't understand where the day has gone." He flopped round onto his stomach and patted down his pillows before resting his head on them. "God and I yelled at you too. Did I break the glass in the door of your office?"

He could feel the warmth of Jack's hand smoothing circles over his lower back through the fabric of his shirt.

"Yep. You had good reason to be angry with me Ianto."

Ianto closed his eyes feeling wrung out. He was asleep within moments. Jack watched his breathing even out and listened to the sudden soft snoring worriedly. He hadn't realised just how exhausted Ianto actually was, maybe it had something to do with the extra time spent keeping Owen amused. Sighing he settled himself down pulling the quilt over them both so that Ianto didn't get cold.

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He hated waking up in the clothes he had been wearing the previous day, he hadn't done that in months so as soon as his eyes snapped open Ianto flung aside the quilt and charged into the bathroom for a shower. An hour later he was dressed and ready to face the day and more than a little surprised to find Jack in his kitchen.

Jack handed him a cup of tea. "Feeling a little better?"

Ianto nodded. "Yes, thank you. I was really out of it yesterday." He sat down feeling vaguely confused, but at least he wasn't tired anymore. "I'm sorry we argued Jack."

Jack sat opposite him and reached over and grasped his hand. "I am too. It's just hard separating us from Torchwood, you realise that don't you?"

"For both of us Jack, but I am still mad with you about Gwen, you confuse me."

Jack smiled. "I'm here aren't I?"

Ianto had to concede the point, but he did wonder why. "Yes Jack, you are, I'd just like to believe that you were here because you want to be, not because I'm the only available thing right now."

Jack tried his best not to get annoyed. "I am here because I want to be, why wouldn't I be? I just wish you could see how much you mean to me and I wish you'd believe that you are worth it, because you are. You were right yesterday. It made me so mad because I hate being wrong. It hurt when you defied me, but you were right to do it. I'd be a fool not to see that."

Ianto arched his eyebrows but Jack carried on.

"I just thought I could handle Gwen, she challenges me all the time. I love that about her, she is so strong Ianto and I learnt just how misplaced that can be without the benefit of experience. I do love her, I love Tosh and Owen as well with equal intensity. But you, Ianto. I would fall apart without you and maybe that's why this whole Flat Holm thing was so hard to stomach, for once you didn't blindly follow me......"

"I never blindly follow you. You know I will tell you when I think you are wrong, it's just this is the first time I have ever had to act on it and I hope I never have to again. Gwen used the situation to force us apart Jack, and I know you do not see that and I am not even sure she does, don't expect me to be nice to her in a hurry."

Jack watched the younger man for a moment, gently rubbing circles over the back of his hand with his thumb.

"Do I really make you feel that insecure?"

Ianto wanted to pull his hand away, but Jack held on. "Torchwood is all I know Jack and it has taken everything away from me and given me back my life in equal measure. You are inseparable from that. I will never leave the institute, or you, but I know one day you will leave me, for whatever reason you will go so the here and now is all I can be certain of."

"I'm not going anywhere Ianto."

"Don't make that a promise, because you know I will never believe it." He sighed and glanced at his watch. "We should get to work, I promised Owen I'd help him this morning."

Jack got up and pulled Ianto up to his feet and into a tight embrace. Ianto folded into it and closed his eyes absorbing the love emanating from him.

"It's ok Jack, really it is."

Jack kissed the top of his head. "I won't leave you again."

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"Bout bloody time! You're late tea Boy!"

Ianto threw Owen a grin as he stepped through the cog door, "Oh, yes? Have you got the files ready for me?" He responded as he hung up his coat and made his way in the direction of the coffee machine.

Owen dithered about by the steps that lead down to his domain. "Well, er no, but that's not the point. Poor Tosh was gasping for a drink." He watched as Jack entered through the door a moment later, looking in a far better mood than he had done the previous evening.

Ianto was shaking his head in amusement. "Put the files on Gwen's desk whilst I do this and then I can archive them for you."

Owen pouted, but did as he was bid, pleased to get a smile out of his younger colleague.

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Ianto placed the pile of folders on his desk, deciding that he should probably check through Owen's notes before finalising the archive for each one. Owen was a brilliant medic with a curious and analytical mind, but his spelling and grammar were abysmal. Ianto enjoyed working in the depths of his archive at his little hidden desk. No one bothered him down here and as there was little else planned for the day he was hoping to get most of this filing done before mid afternoon. He was about to open the first one when his mobile rang. Sighing he pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was Gwen. Ianto was half tempted to reject the call, but he didn't.

"Gwen." He spoke keeping his tone neutral.

"Ianto. I just wanted to call, to see if you were alright."

Ianto sighed again leaning back in his chair. "What is there to say Gwen?"

She hesitated before replying. "Are you in trouble with Jack?"

"Does it matter? It certainly hasn't helped us Gwen, as you knew it wouldn't." It was so hard not to be scathing. "I don't want to talk about it. I made a bad choice that you bullied me into and you and Jack have to...."

"Jack's angry with me."

"Good, so am I, like I said I do not wish to talk about it, especially over the phone. Good day Gwen." He hung up and put his phone on the desk. A bad mood started to fester and Ianto was annoyed with her even more. He went to pick up the top folder from the pile when his phone rang again. Cursing, Ianto answered, expecting to hear Gwen's voice.............

_He turned and looked up at Ollie who was leaning over his shoulder._

"_You are such a swat Ianto Jones.... that'll be another A+ for you then. You need a life."_

_Ianto grinned up at his best friend. "I promised my Tad." ............_

_He gazed at the wedding band and the little pudgy fingers that gripped his. Emily was looking back up at him with her wide dark eyes, she looked just like her mother. He loved sitting up in the deep night feeding his little baby and listening to the sounds of Lisa sleeping in the bed near by. But it wasn't Lisa today. It was Jack. But it couldn't be Jack. Lisa was there, healthy and whole. The mother of his babies, his wife. The woman he shared his soul with. The one he would spend eternity with, he had to, he owed her that much at least._

_The world slid by, days of sunshine and laughter from the back garden, the sound of birdsong and the distant sea. Lisa was shrieking as Nathan chased her with the hose; his little feet pounding against the paving slabs; Emily trailing behind, giggling. It was a beautiful day. Ianto smiled at his parents, now grandparents. It was idyllic and calm and nothing could take away the tranquillity of the moment and erase those long forgotten half memories of his life..........._

"Ianto! Ianto!"

He jerked upright and dropped his phone, which clattered into pieces on the concrete floor. It was Jack's voice over the PA. Ianto shuddered in a breath and switched on his blue tooth.

"Jack, yes, sorry. What's up?"

"You coming up for lunch?"

Lunch? Ianto looked at his watch. "Oh, yes. I'll be there in a minute." Four hours had had disappeared on him and Ianto bent down and retrieved his phone. He looked at the mountain of untouched paperwork and frowned and shaking his head he pushed the thought aside, he was damned hungry, the paperwork could wait for a bit.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN UPDATING, UNI FINALS AND TWO SERIOUSLY ILL PARENTS KINDA PUTS A SPANNER IN THE WORKS.....SO I EASING MYSELF IN GENTLY! THANK YOU FOR READING. DEETA

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART FOUR**

_He loved summer rain, it was the best thing next to walking with his Tad and his dog along the beach. He couldn't thank God enough for miracle cures and the fact that his Tad had survived against the odds and Radio Therapy. It was wonderful to see the old man walking again, even better to share it with Lisa and his children as they ran across the sand ahead of them, chasing a ball with said dog. Ianto was grateful for so many things, sharing his new life with Lisa, leaving Torchwood, settling down and starting this Family who meant so much to him. They made him laugh, they filled his life with absolute joy..........._

Jack stood outside the bathroom door with his arms folded across his chest. He waited patiently for Gwen to finish hurling up and was relieved when Owen appeared at his side.

"How's Tosh?"

"She's fine mate the anti emetic is working. You might wanna ring Ianto and check he's ok though, I'll wait for Gwen."

Jack nodded and went back to his office to make the call. Food poisoning; of all the things to bring Torchwood to a grinding halt. He dialled Ianto's mobile and discovered that once again the line was engaged. Jack half began to suspect he was seeing someone on the side, only lovers ever kept you talking for that long. He hung up deciding he'd go over to Ianto's flat and check, just to be sure that his young lover was alright.

Twenty minutes later and he was letting himself into Ianto's flat to the sound of violent heaving coming from the direction of the bathroom. He found Ianto on his knees his head hanging over the toilet bowel.

"Jesus Ianto, why didn't you call?"

The younger seemed to jerk upright and he gazed up at Jack with blown pupils. "I..... er. God I feel terrible."

Jack was down at his side in an instant. "I tried calling you several times. The line was engaged."

Ianto was frowning. "It was?"

Jack nodded wondering at Ianto's apparent surprise. He bit back what he wanted to ask and contented himself with gently brushing at Ianto's sweaty forehead with his fingertips.

"How are you feeling?"

Ianto grimaced. "Like shit, reminds me of a university hangover." He leaned into Jack's chest seeking comfort. Jack automatically embraced his too warm body and kissed his damp hair.

"Finished throwing up?"

Ianto nodded and nuzzled a little closer and Jack secured him in a gentle embrace and helped him to his feet. Ianto's mobile phone clattered to the floor and he scooped it up still maintaining his hold on Ianto. Carefully he lead the younger man to his bedroom and arranged his dozy form on top of the bed covers. Ianto transferred his nuzzling to his pillows.

"I'll get you some water." And Jack left the room checking the call listings on Ianto's phone as he went. He discovered a half dozen incoming calls from a withheld number and he sighed, wondering what Ianto was hiding from him. He got the water and found that Ianto was fast asleep and snoring deeply when he got back. Putting the glass down, Jack stripped off and joined him on the bed and Ianto instinctively curled into him though he did not wake up. Jack was comforted by the familiar, trusting gesture and was about to close his eyes when Ianto's phone rang. Jack grabbed it quickly and checked the caller ID.... 'Withheld'. He answered and spoke.

"Ianto Jones' phone, whose speaking?"

He was answered with what sounded like static or white noise, frowning Jack held it away from his ear for a moment then listened again.

"Hello?"

The hissing continued. Jack ended the call extremely puzzled and making a mental note to remember to ask Ianto about it in the morning.

Ianto rolled off his bed rather inelegantly at 6am sharp. He grumbled and complained in nonsensical noises all the way to the bathroom and right through his shower and shave. He baulked at the slightly green tinge to his face and the large bags under his dull eyes. Dressed in the 'cute suit', maroon shirt and black tied he finally made it into the kitchen where Jack was busy preparing toast and coffee. Ianto sank into the loan dining chair and leant against the table.

"Morning gorgeous!" Jack spoke hoping his cheeriness would somehow make Ianto's start to the day a little better.

Ianto smiled at him. "Hey. Thanks for last night.... not that I remember much of it. Was it something I ate?"

Jack nodded sagely and proffered a mug of coffee. Ianto considered it for a moment, thinking he'd probably be better off drinking water. Hell no.

Jack perched on the edge of the table.

"You had a funny call on your mobile last night." He tried his best to sound casual.

Ianto sipped at his coffee. "Withheld number by any chance?"

Jack nodded.

"I keep getting those, no idea what that's about." Ianto took another sip relishing the fact that Jack had finally learnt how to make a decent brew. He hesitated in thought.

"It's odd I really can't remember what they were about, probably the bank trying to get me to have another credit card or something."

Jack wasn't convinced.

"Are you seeing some one?"

Ianto almost gagged on his drink. "What?" He gaped at Jack.

"I just wondered if you were seeing anyone." Jack wasn't doing casual too well these days and was trying desperately not to sound jealous. Ianto put down his mug, lurched to his feet and flung his arms around Jack.

"Whatever makes you ask that?"

Jack arms went about his body and held him close. "I just wondered, we seem a little distant and I can almost never get you on your phone, these days." He could feel Ianto squeezing him harder. "I mean I don't mind, we never......"

"Jack! Enough! I am not seeing anyone. There's just you, there's only you." Ianto pulled back slightly and looked into his troubled face. "Only you Jack."

Jack met his look. "Then what's with the constantly engaged phone and the space happy look on your face?"

Ianto hadn't a clue and he shrugged.

"Really Jack. I don't know what you are talking about."

Jack pulled him back against his body and sighed. "Are you willing to humour me about something?"

Ianto nodded.

"Let Owen check you over when we get in to the Hub?"

A second nod, and the comforting sensations that always came with Ianto's fingers in his hair.

"Ok, good."


	5. Chapter 5

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART FIVE**

Joshua Simons was grinning from ear to ear. The job interview had gone like a dream and he was absolutely certain he had scored the vacancy. Smile plastered all over his young face he let himself into his hotel room and nudged the door closed with his foot. He couldn't wait to ring his Dad, but it would be too early as his Dad would still be at work driving his bus. Joshua had recently completed his medical training, was the apple of his mother's eyes and his father's pride and joy. He pulled off his jacket and picked up the phone to order room service. His mobile rang to the tune of 'Saturday Night Fever'. He took the call.

Forty minutes later and the hotel waiter found him dead on his bed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ianto reluctantly perched on the edge of the autopsy table and removed his waistcoat, tie and shirt. He handed them to Jack as Owen's cold stepthoscope was placed against his chest over his heart. He breathed in and out as instructed and then put up with lights in his eyes in his ear and a depressor on his tongue that made him gag... Owen's cold fingers then started mauling at his neck and throat and finally a thermometer was jammed none too gently in his left ear. He answered Owen's questions and was finally ordered to offer up his arm for a blood test. The last indignity was in the shape of a plastic specimen jar.

"Pee in that, would you?"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Is that entirely necessary?"

Owen glared at him. "You, Tea Boy. Me, Doctor. Now go!"

Ianto slunk off in the direction of the restroom and Jack took the opportunity to interrogate his medic.

"Well?"

Owen was by now dealing with the blood sample. "He's ok Jack. His blood pressure is a little low and his blood sugar could do with a lift, but after last night's gut bug that's hardly surprising. Let me run this through the equipment, but honestly I think he is fine."

"Good..... right."

Owen frowned at his boss. "Spit it out Jack. What's really bothering you?"

Jack was about to reply when Ianto came back down the steps into medical bay. He handed Owen the 'pot' then retrieved his garments from Jack's grasp.

"Are you done with me now?"

Owen nodded. "Yes mate, go away and make me coffee and take him with you." He gestured at Jack.

Jack took the hint and turned to assist Ianto back into his shirt receiving an abject look of horror from the medic. "Oi! Not in my autopsy bay... go on out, the pair of you!"

Ianto fastened the buttons of his waistcoat as he made his way in the direction of his beloved coffee machine with Jack close on his heels.

"Jack?"

They both turned on hearing Gwen's voice. She was stood at her desk, her phone in her hand.

"DI Swanson on the phone for you.... about a couple of unexplained deaths."

He abandoned his plan to follow Ianto and went down to take the phone from her.

Ianto couldn't help but sigh with relief, Jack was being incredibly...... Ianto searched for the right word. If he didn't know better he'd say that Jack was jealous, but there was no one for him to be jealous of. Shaking his head in mild exasperation Ianto decided that a triple shot latte would make things seem a whole lot less complicated. He was more than happy to retreat to the comforting space of his little kitchenette and make beverages and forget about the world and think of Lisa and happier times.

Jack whilst focussed on his phone call still managed to watch Ianto's every step. The young man looked tired and slightly dispirited and Jack mentally decided that he would need to investigate it further and probably very discretely. His conversation with Kathy Swanson came to a close.

"Ok, team. Gwen and Owen I want you both over at the police station. Owen there's two bodies at the morgue awaiting collection on your way back. You have yourselves two suspicious deaths to look into."

Gwen was up and grabbing her bag straight away and Owen's grousing could be heard from the depths of the autopsy bay. Five minutes later and they both made their way out of the Hub. Ianto appeared and handed Tosh a cup of green tea and Jack a mug of industrial strength Kenyan. Jack made a point of briefly grasping Ianto's hand before the younger man headed back to get his own drink, when he came back Jack offered up an appreciative smile.

"Yan, go wait in my office. We may as well go over the accounts for last month whilst things are quiet. I'll be up in a minute."

Ianto nodded and went on his way, thinking or at least hopeful of a relatively quiet and easy day. As soon as Jack saw him sit down in his office he moved over to Tosh and stood behind her, leaning over her shoulder and keeping his voice low he spoke.

"Tosh I need a full breakdown of Ianto's mobile phone activity over the last couple of weeks, on my desk by the end of the day..... need to know basis."

He instructed, careful that his voice didn't carry.

Tosh looked up and frowned. "Jack?"

He squeezed her shoulder gently. "Just do it please."

"Alright."

Tosh set about the task rather unhappily.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Owen griped all the way to the police station and even more when they greeted by one PC Andy at the front desk.

"You here for those case notes?"

Gwen nodded giving him a cheerful smile and waited for some sarcastic comment about 'spooky doos' that never came. Andy looked at her, grim faced.

"These are right weird ones, I think CID are actually quite pleased to be shot of them. Kathy's asked that you keep her in touch." He handed over two thick manila folders and a cardboard box. "That's everything on both cases."

"Thanks Andy." There wasn't much else to say really, he obviously wasn't in the mood for social pleasantries.

Two hours later and with two corpses loaded into the SUV they were heading back to the Hub. Owen reading the PM reports with avid interest as Gwen drove them back through Cardiff's busy streets.

"Well, the plod were right about one thing."

Gwen kept her eyes on the road as she replied. "What's that?"

"These are weird. The coroner must have got it wrong. I'll need to re do the post mortems." He sounded enthusiastic to Gwen's ears.

Ianto helped them unload the bodies and trolley them into the autopsy bay, he then went and made coffees for Gwen and Owen and put in the lunch order from the local Deli before setting off from the Hub to collect it. Jack, Gwen and Tosh were all standing on the upper level looking down into Owen's territory at the two body bags.

"How long do you need Owen?" Jack asked, wrinkling his nose at the smell coming from one of the bags.

"I can give you a cursory report later this afternoon. I'll start on these guys right after lunch."

Jack nodded and turned to leave, so Tosh followed in his wake and tugged at his sleeve.

"Can we have a chat?"

Jack nodded and gestured for her to follow him back to his office. Tosh closed the door behind them and sat down in the chair in front of Jack's desk.

"Ianto's phone records."

Jack perched himself on the edge of his desk, careful not to displace the expenses receipts.

"Go on."

"There's nothing unusual except one thing. All the calls made are for either us or his Mum and sister. Calls received is the same apart from one withheld number that came up six times, not odd in itself except for the fact that three of those calls have lasted almost four hours, one was two hours the others were unanswered. I cannot trace the number, but I did make a note of the times and where Ianto was at the time he received the calls. I've emailed the details to you. What's this about Jack?"

Jack shrugged. "I honestly don't know, just a gut feeling that not all is as it seems with him."

"Is he ok?"

"I hope so Tosh, I really do. Please not a word to him. I'll talk to him about this when I am ready to Ok?" Jack asked.

Tosh was well aware that it was really an order. "You think he's seeing some one else?"

Jack looked distant for a moment. "He says not, I believe him. He was rather appalled when I suggested it."

Tosh just looked indignant. "I don't blame him. Ianto is many things Jack, but two timing? No I don't think so. Not all of us are as flexible as you when it comes to relationships."

Jack couldn't argue the point, even though he had remained monogamous with Ianto since returning from his journey in 'that year'.

"Thank you Tosh."

Taking that as a dismissal she rose to her feet and hesitating she faced Jack not sure if she was about to over step the mark.

"He loves you Jack, whatever it is that is going on remember that much."

Jack smiled at her. "I will Tosh, I just wanna be sure he's ok, that's all."

She nodded and left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART 6**

He's had this dream before. The one where he awakes in a hospital bed after a long coma, and as he sits up he realises that the room is deserted of staff and patients. He slides off the bed and wobbles on boneless legs. He's aware that all the lights and monitors are off and there is only an eerie silence and a stale smell. The stench of the dead. He stumbles about long, deserted NHS corridors and finally falls out into the outside world; which has stopped. Everyone is gone or dead. It is exactly like that opening scene in the Day of the Triffids, except there's no roaming carnivorous plants and strings of blind men staggering about. The only sounds are that of birdsong, a distant barking of a dog and the breeze as it scatters the remnants of a newspaper along the tarmac. The last thing he sees before he wakes is the burnt out wreck of a car filled with charred skeletons, one of them still tightly gripping the remains of the steering wheel, the word Torchwood still recognisable on the warped bodywork.

Ianto lets out a shudder and flops over on to his back so he can gaze at the ceiling. Classic abandonment imagery. He'd had this dream repeatedly since Jack left that time, but this was the first time since he had come back. It shook him to the core. Was Jack leaving again? Unconsciously he stretched his hand out and discovered the warm mound beside him. Ianto rested his hand gently against the cotton covered back of his partner, relishing the steady rise and fall of his slumberous breathing. Reassured he glanced to his alarm clock, 5:58am. He watched and waited the remaining two minutes cancelling the alarm before it could start so as not to wake Jack. A sigh slipped out and Ianto hauled himself carefully out of the bed and headed off to his bathroom for a shower.

Jack rolled over the moment he felt Ianto leave the bed, glancing at the time he lunged to his feet and promptly followed Ianto to the bathroom. The shower that morning was rather more fun than Ianto was anticipating and allayed his fears somewhat.

Three hours later and team Torchwood were gathered in the conference room, eating pastries and drinking Ianto's amazing beverages. Owen decided to get on with his report having spent the entire night on his two rather fascinating autopsies. With the remote he brought an image of two faces on to the screen to get everyone's attention.

Jack got the message. "Ok, Owen what have you got for us?"

"Right these are Joshua Simons and Amanda Creswell. Both dead obviously. Joshua he was 24, just graduated from medical school in Newcastle and was here in Cardiff for a job interview for a post with the orthopaedics department at the general hospital. He would've got the job, but for this. He was found dead in his hotel room by hotel staff. Lying on his bed." The image changed to one taken by the police photographer. "No obvious suspicious circumstances, no drugs or alcohol, no injuries. Cause of death..... extreme hypothermia. You can see the frostbite on his fingers and toes and nose." Another picture. "The room was at 19 degrees Celsius, the heating and thermostat were in perfect working order. It was a pleasant and slightly chilly outside the afternoon he died. My own post mortem confirms the initial findings of the first PM. It wasn't quite a flash freezing, but given the evidence I'd say he took about 20 – 30 minutes to die from extreme cold."

Everyone except Gwen was gaping at Owen.

"How is that even remote possible, without.... well liquid nitrogen or something?" Ianto asked.

Owen shrugged. "The police did a very thorough examination of the room. It was clean, there is nothing to suggest outside intervention. Hotel CCTV confirms that he was the only person to enter that room after checking in, until the porter arrived with his room service order."

Jack turned to Gwen. "Anything to add?"

She shuffled her papers and smiled at Jack. "No rift activity at the time of his death or any other anomalous readings... thanks Tosh.... and his mobile indicates that he made no calls that day, but he did receive one call from a withheld number which he answered shortly before he died. No witnesses. Hotel staff on the desk said he seemed like a normal cheerful bloke. The hospital staff who interviewed him earlier that day were all set to offer him the job. Again CCTV indicates he went straight back to the hotel after his interview."

Jack and Tosh were both frowning. "Anything on that phone number?"

Gwen shook her head. Tosh gave Jack a worried look but he chose to ignore it.

"Ok Owen what about Amanda Creswell?"

Owen looked visibly uncomfortable. "Amanda Creswell, 37 years old, mother of two children. She died as a result of being burnt to death in her home. The body was severely burnt and had to be identified through DNA and dental records. She was found a charred husk." He changed the photos again and Ianto visibly flinched at what he saw.

"Is that where she was found?"

Owen nodded. "You noticed then?"

Ianto couldn't fail to, the immaculate lounge and beautiful carpet completely unmarked.

"She was found at home by her younger son when he came home from school. The house was locked up from the inside. The next door neighbour saw her in the garden about an hour her body was discovered. I can confirm once again the cause of death being asphyxiation due to being burnt to death, the position of the body is common to this kind of trauma. She was exposed to extreme heat over a short period of time, but it would not have been an easy death. There was no evidence of any fire damage in the house whatsoever not even under where her body lay. No one was seen near the house, nothing is missing from the house. The son hasn't been interviewed yet as he is too traumatised."

Jack was staring at the photo. "So she wasn't burnt alive at home, did someone else and put her there after?"

Owen shook his head. "There's no evidence on the body to suggest that and again the plod SOCO team did a good job going over the place."

"Spontaneous combustion?"

Owen hadn't a clue. "I can tell how she died, but not why."

"Gwen?"

"The only thing linking these cases is the fact that she too received a call from a withheld number not that long before she died. She's just a normal single mum in a nice part of town, no debts, no record, friends with the neighbours."

Jack drummed his fingers on the table, deeply concerned. He could feel Tosh's gaze boring into him and Jack made a decision he was likely to regret. He gave Ianto an apologetic smile.

"I asked Tosh to make a check on Ianto's phone records yesterday." Ianto turned in his seat and gaped.

"You did what?"

Jack raised his hand to silence the protest he knew was about to come.

"I was worried Yan. It's been increasingly difficult to get through to you because your phone has been engaged. I was acting out of.... I was worried." _Jealous more like._

"You had no right, why didn't you ask me?"

Jack grasped his hand. "I did, remember? The withheld numbers?"

Ianto sucked in a breath, yes, he remembered.... sort of. Realisation sank in.

"Oh."

"Yes Oh. Ianto's been receiving a number of these calls from a withheld number, but he has no recollection as to the nature of them. Gwen, ToshI I need lengthy detailed phone records for the two victims and Tosh try to find out what that number actually is and where it is."

Tosh got to her feet straight away and gently tugged on Gwen's sleeve to get her to follow. Gwen nodded, suddenly aware that Jack was needing to talk to a rather panicked looking Ianto. The girls left the room and Owen also got up.

"I'll just finalise my reports Jack." He walked out closing the door behind him leaving Jack alone to deal with Ianto.


	7. Chapter 7

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART 7**

Ianto watched and waited for the door to close at Owen's back before speaking.

"How dare you check up on me like that? You had no right!" He hissed facing Jack with a fierce glare.

Jack met his look with equal annoyance. "As head of Torchwood three I have every bloody right, especially with your history." Perhaps he shouldn't have said the last bit.

Ianto lurched to his feet and paced around the room shoving Gwen's vacated chair out of his way as he stomped. "So you still don't trust me, well at least you're honest about it. You could have asked me Jack!"

Jack thumped the table. "I did." Ianto rounded on him leaning over the table resting his weight on bunched fists.

"No you didn't. You asked me about the calls. I told you I didn't remember; which was the truth. You did not ask my permission to spy on me. You asked if I was seeing someone else and if I didn't know better I'd say you were acting out of jealousy. What would have happened if you discovered I was seeing someone? Would they just disappear one night without explanation? Would you Retcon them?"

Jack leant back appalled by the suggestion. "Ianto, do you honestly believe I'd do something like that?"

"Honestly?"

Jack nodded.

Ianto straightened himself and stared out of the window, suddenly aware that Tosh and Gwen were watching them.

"I don't know Jack. It's ok for you to go off and sleep with whomever you choose, but when it comes to me doing the same. You know I really daren't in case something happened to them."

Jack was furious but he bit it back, this no time for a personal argument.

"Ianto we are getting off track here. There is a possibility that the anonymous calls you have been receiving are potentially dangerous, it has to be investigated if it's at all related to these recent deaths......"

Ianto yanked his phone out of his pocket and tossed it on to the table. "There you are the, you answer the fucking thing, maybe then someone calling you will make you die, permanently!" He turned and stormed out of the room, grabbing his coat from the hat stand behind Tosh's desk he fled the hub. Jack sat there staring at Ianto's mobile completely gobsmacked.

Owen entered the room a moment later rather apprehensively. "What the hell was that all about?"

Jack looked up at him with exasperation written all over his face. "None of your business."

Ianto only got as far as the tourist office door when he stopped in his tracks and realised what a total ass he had been. He stood there his hand shaking on the door handle before sucking in a deep breath and turning straight back around and heading down the stairs into the Hub. He was aware of three sets of eyes on him as he made his way up to Jack's office and hesitantly he tapped on the door before entering. Jack had just settled himself at his desk and was more than a little surprised to see Ianto standing there, looking very sheepish. Ianto was gripping the edge of the door.

"May I come in?"

Jack glared at him. "That entirely depends on what you have to say."

Ianto moved forwards and closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry Jack. I'm sorry. That was a terrible thing for me to say."

"Which bit? It all sounded pretty damming."

Ianto sighed. "I'm sorry."

Jack gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk.

"What's going on with you Ianto?"

Ianto sat and shrugged. It was hard to put into words and he sat silently trying to find the right ones.

"Yan?"

"I.... I don't know. I've just been thinking a lot lately." He fidgeted in the seat.

"About?" Jack was trying not to lose his patience and let his hurt show.

"Lisa, my Tad.... a different life. Sometimes it feels as if Torchwood is drowning me and that I've lost sight of who I am, who I was raised to be. I keep thinking that while I am here I will never...... I will never have a normal life, never be married or have a family; I wish to God that Lisa was still alive and my Tad. I miss my life. I don't even know why, because I was quite happy until a few weeks ago. I....." He trailed off, wringing his hands in his lap. "I am sorry Jack. I shouldn't be taking any of that out on you."

Jack nodded, more concerned than ever now.

"Do you realise how so unlike you this actually is? Do you not see why I am worried?"

Ianto met his look and had to force himself not to shy away from the hurt there. "I'm sorry."

Jack growled with frustration. "Will you stop with the apologies and just please do as I ask?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Now have your phone back, but don't answer any calls from a withheld number unless you are with one of us, just in case....please for my peace of mind if nothing else."

Ianto took the proffered Nokia and pocketed it. He stood up and sighed nervously.... he had to ask.

"Are we ok Jack?"

Jack offered up a smile at the pitiful tone. "We're ok." He tried to sound reassuring, but was far from certain himself how things now stood between them. It seemed to convince Ianto though.

"I guess I should get back to work then."

Jack rose from his seat and strode around his desk, reaching out and carefully drawing Ianto into an embrace. Ianto fell into it, burying his face against his shoulder, hands fisting the fabric of his shirt. Jack ran his hand through Ianto's soft hair. They said nothing and just held on. Jack really didn't know what else to do. They were drawn apart by the ringing of Ianto's phone and Ianto pulled out it out of his jacket pocket and frowned at the display, 'withheld'. He showed it to Jack, who nodded, and Ianto answered the call.


	8. Chapter 8

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART EIGHT**

It was as if someone had thrown a switch. The moment Ianto accepted the call his hand dropped to his side, phone held loosely in his fingers. His face became an empty mask and he gazed, unfocussed into the middle distance. Jack edged back a pace to get a better look at him and then he turned and hurried out of his office.

"Owen get up here with your scanner now!" He bellowed across the Hub. Gwen and Tosh both looked up from their work as Owen appeared from his domain in the autopsy room, bag of tricks in hand.

"What's going on Jack?"

Jack merely pointed to his office. "Check Ianto, but don't touch him." He faced Tosh. "Ianto's just received a withheld call, track it now!" He turned back to his office and went in with Owen at his heels. Ianto was still standing there in the middle of the room with a calm, almost serene look on his pale face. Owen cautiously walked round him, PDA scanner in hand, taking in every nuance of Ianto's behaviour.

"How long has he been like this?"

Jack glanced at his watch. "Just over a minute."

"His breathing is steady, but shallow, pupils are very dilated and he's sweating a lot." Owen waved a hand in front of Ianto's eyes and then blew in his face. There was no response from the younger man. "Did he just go like this gradually?"

Jack shook his head. "The second he answered that call he was like that, his hand dropped to his side."

"But he's still holding the phone, his grip on it hasn't relaxed." Owen bent down and put his ear against the hand still clutching the Nokia.

"There's continual hissing, sounds like radio static... that's odd in theory if you get a signal like that the phone usually automatically cuts off. It's not affecting either of us in any way."

"Which means?" Jack was watching with concern.

Owen straightened himself up. "It means that whatever it is, Ianto could be a specific target."

"Makes sense, but for what? I mean what purpose does this serve?" Jack gestured at his apparently immobilised colleague. Owen shrugged. "Not a clue."

Jack carefully reached forwards and eased the phone from Ianto's grip, making sure he didn't disconnect the call. He listened to the sound.

"It's just noise, there's nothing...... I guess we'll need analyse it in detail."

Jack was about to take the phone to Tosh when he was stopped in his tracks by Ianto's voice. He turned, the young man was still standing motionless, but he was whispering in Welsh and smiling at someone or something that neither he nor Owen could see. Jack shuddered, Ianto actually looked happy, there was a light in his eyes that Jack had never seen before. He turned to Owen. "Keep monitoring him." And left the office to take the phone to Tosh's work station.

He found Toshiko typing furiously on her keyboard and glancing rapidly between her keys and the screen. She scowled in frustration.

"I can't track this Jack, whoever it is calling him is managing to hide their signal very well. There's no way to pin point a location or a number." She told him apologetically.

"It's ok, what do you make of this?" He handed her the phone switching it over to speaker. Both Tosh and Gwen sat up in their seats to listen.

"White noise? There's no pulse or discernable pattern. Give me a few minutes to run it through the computer." Tosh was grateful for another task having failed at the first. Jack gently squeezed her shoulder as he turned to Gwen.

"Find out as much as you can about our two bodies and then find out if they connect to one another or Ianto in any way. I don't care how remote the connection is, just find it. There must be one."

Gwen nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Is Ianto ok up there?"

Jack turned and looked in the direction of his office. "So far, Owen's watching." Jack frowned. "I'm sure I've seen something like this before. I just can't think when." He said almost to himself.

"Do you want me to cross reference what we have and see if I can find any records in the archive?"

Jack shook his head. "I'll let Ianto do that when comes out of that trance. He'll know where to look."

By the time Jack got back to his office Ianto had fallen silent again, but there were tears running over his cheeks and a look of deep pain, his fists clenched at his sides. Jack hesitated in the doorway.

"Owen, how's he doing?"

"No change, vitals are a little wacky, but nothing hugely concerning." Owen held up the PDA. "Can't really do much with this though, could really do with some sensors on his head."

Jack nodded. "Go get what you need."

Owen went and Jack stepped forwards gently grasping Ianto's right arm.

"Yan, can you hear me? Yan?"

Ianto turned his head and looked straight through Jack as though he wasn't there. His face suddenly paled considerably and his breathing hitched as he fell away from Jack's grasp to the floor, hands going to his mouth as he shuddered in choking gasps.

"Oh shit, Ianto!"

The switch was suddenly flicked again and Ianto, suddenly recognised where he was and panicked, still choking and gasping as water poured from his mouth and nose, his face rapidly going blue.

"Owen!"

Jack gathered Ianto in a fireman's lift and ran with him over his shoulder out of the office and down into the autopsy bay. Gwen and Tosh some paces behind when they saw the commotion.

"He's choking or some damn thing!" Jack practically threw him onto the exam couch and Ianto writhed still coughing up water and trying desperately to breathe as he clawed away at his chest.

Owen watched in horror.

"What the fuck, he looks like he's drowning. Where the hell is the water coming from?" He moved fast shoving Jack out of the way and going to the side for a scalpel and plastic tubes. "Roll him onto his stomach Jack, quickly!"

Jack shoved Ianto over and held him down suddenly understanding what Owen was about to do. Two minutes later and the tubes were shoved between ribs and into Ianto's lungs to serve as a drain and water poured out all over the tiled floor of the bay. Ianto's breathing settled almost immediately. Owen stood back.

"Shit. What the fuck is going on here?"

Jack was staring down at the water at his feet. "He was drowning Owen."

Owen gaped at him. "Yes Jack, but how? How the fuck does one phone call do this?" He gestured to the mess on the tiles. Gwen and Toshiko were still watching from above in stunned silence. It was sometime before the water stopped flowing.

Jack was shaking his head in dismay. "I've no idea." He carded his hand through Ianto's hair and suddenly realised the young man was looking up at him.

"Hey, you ok?"

Ianto nodded even though he was terrified and hadn't a clue what had just happened to him. Owen began to check him over, stepthosope busy over Ianto's back as he listened to his lungs. Ianto lay there stunned and very confused.

"I was drowning in the sea. Did you rescue me?"

Jack leant down and kissed his head. "Sort of... you're safe now. It's ok."

"Thanks Jack."

"You're welcome. Now rest and let Owen take care of you. I need to talk to Tosh.


	9. Chapter 9

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART 9**

Ianto closed his eyes and coughed for a moment. He was startled by Owen sliding an oxygen mask over his face.

"It's alright mate, just some O2, take slow deep breaths."

Ianto nodded. "What happened Owen? What's going on?"

Owen busied himself with unfolding a soft blanket and spreading it over Ianto's back when he became aware of the goose bumps on his white skin. He decided to leave the chest drains in place for the time being.

"What do you remember?"

Ianto sighed. "I was with Tad, on the beach. I ran off to climb on the rocks and I fell into the sea. I sank into the water and I remember seeing the sun through.... Owen I was seven when that happened. Wasn't I in Jack's office?"

Owen walked around the autopsy table, once again running his bekaran scanner along the length of Ianto's body.

"You were. You had a phone call, went into a trance and then started to drown." He replied matter of fact.

Ianto shuddered with cold. "Is it like those people that died?"

Owen nodded, even though Ianto couldn't see him. "Looks that way mate. Look you're going to be fine. Jack's not likely to let you take any more calls."

Ianto didn't feel even remotely comforted by that.

Jack followed Toshiko up to her work station and watched as she brought a series of data windows on the screen.

"I disconnected the call as soon as it became apparent that Ianto was in distress. However I don't think it would've made any difference whether that signal was active for 4 seconds or 4 hours. I'll need some time to study this Jack, in the meantime may I suggest that we issue Ianto with a new phone and only keep the number within Torchwood for the time being. I'll keep this one active in case another call comes through, but I suspect there will not be another one." She tapped at her keyboard as Jack frowned at the back of her head.

"You have a theory?"

She nodded. "Like I said give me some time with this."

"Ok. Gwen do you have anything for me?"

Gwen shook her head apologetically. "No, not yet."

"Ok, we'll meet in the boardroom in three hours." Jack turned and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water out of the fridge and he took it down to the autopsy bay.

Owen was analysing a sample of the water from Ianto's lungs and quietly muttering to himself as he worked so Jack pulled up a stool and sat beside Ianto who was dozing under the Oxygen mask. Jack gently stroked his head and Ianto opened his eyes and pulled the mask away from his face.

"Is that water for me?" His voice was ragged.

Jack nodded. "Let me help you sit up."

"No Jack, leave him there for a bit!" Owen passed him a straw. "Just a few sips please. I've put the IV saline up because he lost nearly three litres of fluid. I'm amazed he's not in shock. His heart rhythm is up the spout because his sodium levels have dropped too low."

Jack carefully offered up the straw now sitting in the water and Ianto happily sipped on the icy liquid, cooling his burning throat.

"How come he lost so much salt?"

Owen gestured to the floor. "He was throwing up salt water, says he remembers drowning in the sea."

"How?"

Owen shrugged. "Whatever happened his brain was convinced he was drowning and somehow his body lost a lot of fluid and salt, which was diverted to his lungs. I have no explanation. I've taken some blood and am currently setting up for a full neurological work up, now that I've confirmed what it was he was drowning in. I'm starting him on anti-biotics as well so we don't add pneumonia to his problems......"

He was interrupted by Ianto speaking somewhat breathlessly as he finished drinking.

"Jack check under the name of 'Remote Assault by Proxy'. It's a file in the secure database."

"You have an idea?"

Ianto nodded. "It's not like this exactly, but I remember reading about a research project carried out in the States during the late 1950's using sound transmissions as weapons. It could be nothing, but....."

Owen was already inputting the file name and Jack went over to his terminal to add his password. The data came up, lots of it and Owen forwarded it to Tosh's workstation.

Jack went back to Ianto's side and purposefully slid the O2 mask back into place.

"Rest, that's an order."

It was easy to obey, only because Owen slipped in a sedative with his first dose of Metranidazole.

Three hours and the four team members were gathered around the conference table. Ianto's mobile phone strategically placed in the middle for all to see. Owen kicked things off.

"Ianto's fine, well as good as can be expected, but he'll be off field ops for a few weeks and I'll need to be sure that his heart rate has stabilised before he can home from here, but he's not in any danger. His lungs are clear of fluid now so I've taken the drains out. He'll need to rest and not be exposed to any more trauma. It was definitely salt water that came out of his lungs, but it was clean so hopefully he'll not pick up any infections. Blood work is clean and his EEG and brain scan were both normal, bearing in mind that both were done after the fact." He slid a folder over to Jack. "Like I said to you earlier, I have no explanation as to how this happened, but it does appear to be related to past real memories, given what Ianto was able to tell me before I sedated him."

Jack quickly leafed through the document Owen had passed him. "We are absolutely certain that this phone call was the trigger for what happened to Ianto?"

Owen and Tosh both nodded. "Without a doubt."

Tosh sighed. "Sorry Jack, nothing else showed up on the internal sensors at the time. It was one of the first things I checked. I annalysed the transmission." She brought a series of images on the main screen.

"The top one, is the sound waves.... basically the noise that could be heard coming through the phone. The bottom one is an additional set of data in the ultrasound band, which is effectively sound that we cannot hear."

Gwen faced her. "Isn't that what they use in medical diagnostics?"

"Ordinarily yes, but this is different, the frequencies are much higher."

Jack was still looking at the screen. "And the third diagram?"

"I've no idea what that is. The computer couldn't make sense of it. All I got back was that......"

"It looks like an EEG reading." Owen finished.

"Precisely, more accurately. It looks like Ianto's EEG, the one I took using the sensors in your office when he first received the call."

Jack and Owen both looked at her in surprise and Tosh actually blushed. "It's going to be built into our security protocols, we each have unique signatures in our brainwaves.... I was testing it out, purely by coincidence to see if it was viable. Jack's office is the smallest confined space except for the cells and we all go in there....... some more than others....." She trailed off and Jack smiled at her. "The point is, this transmission was tailored to Ianto and quite obviously hasn't affected any of us. I've got no trace on the call itself and the phone company have no record of him receiving the call. Who ever is doing this knows their stuff not only about what ever this weapon is but also communications systems. I read through the file Ianto pointed out and I am certain that this may be an off shoot from the earlier research done in the States but I need to look at it more closely. That's all I've got for now."

Jack noted the slightly dejected look on her face as if she felt she had failed in some way.

"Good work Tosh, keep at it and contact UNIT, see if they can shed any light on this."

"Ok."

Gwen took that as her cue to begin, she too shoved a folder of paper work towards Jack.

"I've so far located 11 victims, the two we know about here in Wales and 9 others who have all died of varying things, ranging from spontaneous knife wounds to overdoses of drugs. Ianto so far as I can tell is the only survivor, but I am still trawling through all the hospital and police databases, so there could be more. All of the victims were survivors of previous traumas and it seems that they died from whatever it was they survived at an earlier age, only in crazy circumstances. The gunshot victim literally died in a shopping mall immediately after answering her phone, witnesses stated that there was no gunfire, she just dropped to the ground dead and started to bleed. Three slugs were removed from her body in the PM. The victims are all under the age of forty, but otherwise, so far I have found nothing to connect them."

"Thank you Gwen."

They all sat in silence for a moment and finally it was Owen that spoke up. "So the triggered memories of a previous event is being turned into some kind of remote murder weapon?"

No one had an answer; it was just too weird to contemplate.

"There is no weapon that can do that. The only thing I've ever seen even remotely possible is telepathic assault and that wasn't here on Earth. Ianto is empathic and has a high psi rating for a human, maybe that makes him vulnerable, but we have no way of finding out about the other victims."

"That sounds a bit Star Trek to me." Owen commented.

Jack couldn't agree more and it troubled him greatly that they had got precisely nowhere since their last meeting that morning.

"Ok, keep looking for answers. Gwen concentrate on collating what you can about victims or possible survivors. Tosh call in anyone you need who may know more about this than we do. Owen re do the post mortems on the two victims and do every test you can think of on Ianto, short of killing him."

Owen smirked. "He's going to moan like hell about that and you'll be on Decaf for a month."

Jack let out a long suffering sigh. "Make that the rest of the year!"


	10. Chapter 10

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART 10**

Matt Carter Jnr stood outside the shabby little tourist office and glanced down at his watch for a moment. He was sure he had the right place, CIA intel was usually pretty reliable and well, where else would Torchwood hide itself, it was the lamest looking cover so he had to be right. He noted the two CCTV cameras pointing down at him and proceeded to wave frantically into the lens holding up his FBI identification in one hand and his overstuffed brief case in the other. On first appearance anyone looking would have mistaken him for the fictional Fox Mulder of the 'The X Files', Matt never complained it always got him dates with cute guys and any other attention he needed. He wasn't disappointed when a curvaceous, doey eyed, brunette came to the door and let him in. He flashed a white smile and handed over his ID for inspection.

"The names Matt Carter, I work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and I need to see Toshiko Sato and Ianto Jones, if they're here."

Gwen met the startling green eyes and flashy smile with an apprehensive grin, she pressed the com in her ear.

"Jack get up here."

Matt edged a pace back to give her a little space and took in the neat surroundings of the quaint little shop, it had Ianto's tidiness stamped all over it. He turned his smile inwards and happily recalled his ex, widening his smile, if that were at all possible. A tall man blustered into the room and suddenly everything else seemed to vanish from the space as Matt held out his hand.

"You must be Captain Harkness. I'm Special Agent Matt Carter, I'm here because you are currently investigating some unusual deaths connected to the mobile phone transmissions?"

Jack assessed him quickly, Matt felt like he'd just been stripped naked, their eyes met.

"You asked to see Tosh and Ianto." Came the guarded response to his introduction.

"Yes, Captain. Toshiko has specialist knowledge regarding sonic modulators and Ianto and I were at university together.... them both being here is purely coincidental. I'm a telecommunications specialist amongst other things. But Ianto calledand asked if I'd come."

By now Jack was studying his ID badge as well and giving him an appraising look.

"You'd best come with me then." The badge was handed back and Matt fell into step behind the oddly attired man in front of him, the woman, whom he assumed was Gwen Williams was following behind him. He followed, finding it difficult to keep pace with the long strides of Captain Harkness, they went down a tunnel that smelt distinctly off and entered a lift. The three of them stood facing one another and it was Jack that spoke next.

"So, you knew where to find us then?"

Matt couldn't help but offer up an apologetic smile. "Everyone knows where to find you Captain Harkness."

He noticed Gwen's eyes widen in surprise and Jack burst out laughing. It was a rich and beautiful sound and Matt just couldn't help but laugh with him as Jack gave him a decent slap across the back of his shoulder.

"Welcome to Torchwood Matt."

They stepped out of the lift and were faced by a large cog style door. "This way."

Matt couldn't help but gasp as he stepped through the door and into the cavernous base of operations for Torchwood 3. He had heard rumours of course, everyone in the intelligence community had. But rumours bearly matched up to the reality of the hi tech kit and..... fuck, they really DID have a dinosaur! Unphased he gaped in wonder as the pteranodon swooped in for a look at the new arrival.

"Wow, she's beautiful."

Jack was quietly impressed with his cool reaction.

"She's Ianto's pet."

Matt was steered forward. "Tosh this gentleman is here to see you, apparently."

Tosh leapt up from her place and held out her hand. "Professor Carter. It's good to meet you at last."

Matt grasped her tiny hand. "Likewise Miss Sato, I came as quickly as I could."

Jack was standing back arms folded across his chest, slightly defensive and glaring at Tosh. "You were expecting him?"

"Yes Jack. Don't worry he's friendly. Ianto vouched for him."

Jack was frowning now. "He did?"

"You said I could call in anyone Jack and I have."

He nodded. "Yes, I did. Ok. Where's Ianto?"

"Still in the autopsy bay. Owen won't let him up until his heart rate is stable."

Jack practically stomped in the direction of Owen's domain leaving Tosh to apologise for Jack's posturing once again. Matt didn't mind, but he was worried about Ianto.

"Tosh, before we get to work I'd like to check in with Ianto."

"You knew him from University, he was saying."

Matt smiled putting his briefcase on a vacant chair. Gwen had joined them now and extended her hand.

"I'm Gwen, by the way. So you and Ianto?"

Matt shook her hand which surprised him with its soft feel and strength of grip.

"Yes. He was a literature student and I was doing my masters. We.. er, well we went out pretty much through the whole three years he was at Cambridge. I asked him to come back to the States with me, but his Father died around that time and he wouldn't consider leaving the country because he was worried about his mother. My visa's ran out and I had to go home without him."

Gwen's eyebrows almost in her hairline. "Oh, wow. He never mentioned it before.

Matt nodded. "I'm not surprised, Ianto never was one for gossip, he was an intensely private person when I knew him."

Tosh was glaring Gwen from over Matt's shoulder. "He still is, you'll need to wait before you see him Matt. Jack will need to talk to him first."

Matt nodded suddenly catching on to what Tosh hadn't said in so many words.

"He and Captain Harkness are?"

Tosh nodded and Gwen merely rolled her eyes. "They're pretty casual." Gwen informed him.

"Casual? Ianto casual? Things have changed."

Tosh grasped his arm and directed him to sit at her terminal and Gwen took that as a dismissal of sorts. Tosh waited until her colleague was back at her own desk before turning to Matt.

"Ianto loves Jack so don't get any ideas. Otherwise you'll have me to deal with."

Matt grinned at her and held up his left hand, a wedding band glistened on his finger. "You've nothing to worry about."

"Good, coffee?"

Matt smiled again. "Did Ianto make it?"

Tosh laughed. "Sorry, no, but mine is the next best option."

Jack trotted down the half dozen steps into the autopsy bay and discovered Ianto dozing lightly on the exam couch still hooked to Owen's monitors. He paused a moment to look at Ianto's peaceful face before turning to his medic who was hunched over a microscope.

"Owen?"

Owen looked up from his work and then across to Ianto. "What's up Jack?"

"I need to talk to Ianto, in private. We have a guest. Tosh is working with him go talk to them. I'll be up in a minute."

Owen nodded sliding off his stool, knowing full well that Jack was politely kicking him out. He left in a hurry.

"Don't get his heart rate up!"

Jack nodded and took the stool and moved it so he could sit beside Ianto. He grasped Ianto's left hand in both of his.

"Hey Jonesy wake up."

Ianto's eyes cracked open and he yawned expansively. "Am awake... see... eyes open... really."

Jack hitched a brief smirk and brought Ianto's hand to his lips. "Your friend Matt Carter is here to help Tosh."

Ianto rolled his head to face Jack. "Good, he'll know what to do."

"Ianto, I have to ask....."

"He's trustworthy Jack. I trust him and I know you don't trust me right now after Flat Holm, but he is ok, I promise you." Ianto frowned as Jack shook his head.

"I do trust you, implicitly. It wasn't what I wanted to ask. I know you guys have history."

Ianto nodded surprised at the hint of insecurity underlying Jack's words.

"History Jack, in the past where it belongs."

"Ok, how do you feel? Do you need anything?"

Ianto shook his head. "I need coffee and Owen says I am banned and I need you and I'm banned from that too for the time being. I think he's scared I am going to have a cardiac arrest or something."

Jack kissed his fingers. "Don't worry, we'll make up for it, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that. Now you get up there and stop fretting and catch the bad man Jack. Matt can help you, I know he can."

Ianto's hand was gently placed back down and before he left Jack caressed Ianto's cheek with his fingertips. "I'll send him down to say hi."

"Thanks Jack."


	11. Chapter 11

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART 11**

Matt looked up sharply when he felt a hand rest firmly on his shoulder, he drew in a quick breath as he realised it was Jack Harkness.

"Ianto wants to talk to you for a bit, but keep it short he needs to rest."

Matt got to his feet. "Thanks, and after we've talked I'll give you a de brief on what I know about this case, there's a lot to cover."

"We'll be waiting in the conference room for you." Jack pointed to it. Matt smiled his thanks and turned and walked across to the autopsy bay. Jack told the others to wait in the boardroom and he went to his office to watch the proceedings in Owen's space via the CCTV.

Matt strode gracefully down the tiled steps and went straight to Ianto's side. It was frightening to see how little the Welshman had changed in the four years since they had last seen each other. He still looked so young, though his eyes spoke a different tale. They embraced one another, tightly, automatically as if they had never been apart and Matt found himself burying his face into the familiar scent of the man he had loved to distraction. The moment didn't last as he pulled back suddenly seeing all the monitors and the IV line.

"Yanni what happened to you?"

Ianto settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes for a moment, gathering a response.

"I'm not sure, but Owen says I'll be ok. So tell me...the FBI?" He was smiling a little cheekily. "You always said you hated the Feds and the Inland Revenue. So what happened?"

Matt settled on the edge of the cot. "I went straight to Quantico. Stayed on when I realised I could make a difference and well, you know how it goes, sometimes you just can't let go of a good thing."

Their eyes met and Ianto understood the meaning only too well.

"I'm sorry Matt. It was the wrong time for me."

Matt clasped his hand. "Don't be sorry Yanni. I was lucky it worked out for me. I'm just sorry we lost touch. Torchwood One kept bouncing the emails I sent to you, I guess Hartman really did hate interagency communications."

Ianto looked away for a moment, but realised he could feel hard metal against his hand and he looked at Matt's fingers that gripped his.

"You got married?"

Matt laughed at his incredulous look. "Simon, we have a son too. Simon's sister and brother-in-law had a baby for us. I've never been this happy Yanni." He was pulling a photograph from out of his wallet and passing it to Ianto. There were two men with a baby sitting on the edge of a couch, all smiles. Ianto gazed at the image and tried to push down the deep swell of longing that suddenly rose in his chest. He passed the picture back and smiled.

"I'm happy for you." And he was too.

Matt put the picture back in his wallet and returned it to his jacket pocket.

"So you and the Captain, huh?"

Ianto blushed stupidly. "It's complicated, difficult and it frightens me half to death."

Matt reached out and tenderly brushed at his pale cheek. "You're happy, right?"

Ianto didn't know, he really didn't. "Yes, when I am with Jack I am happy."

Matt saw through the lie straight away but said nothing.

"I have to debrief the team and I was told you need to rest, so later we will talk and you are going to tell me everything."

Ianto nodded. "I'd like that." He rested his head back down and closed his eyes, overwhelmed by feelings he did not understand, didn't want to understand for fear of what they might reveal. "Thanks for coming Matt."

"You are always welcome Yanni."

Jack flicked off the monitor in his office and sighed heavily before lurching to his feet and heading for the board room.

A few moments later and Matt entered to the sight of four expectant faces gazing at him. He placed his bulging brief case down on the table in front of the vacant chair that Ianto usually occupied and pulled off his tailored jacket, hanging it over the back of the chair.

"My name is Matt Carter, I work for the FBI." He said as he began pulling a sizeable wadge of files from his case and spreading them out over the table.

"Ianto called me yesterday and explained that you've been investigating some deaths that have thus far been unexplained. I happened to be in England investigating the same deaths." He shoved one of the folders toward Jack. "So far we are looking at a total of 163 fatalities, victims quite literally from all over the world starting from just over 6 months ago."

Owen hissed. "Shit."

"The only connecting factor with these deaths is the use of the mobile phone networks. I've been working with our best profilers and tech guys and we finally found a way of monitoring and tracking the calls. It's the other reason I was so eager to come, the most recent on the list is Ianto's and I'm guessing that is why he is your sick bay right now."

Jack nodded as he perused the extensive file in front of him, a list of the dead and descriptions of how they had died.

"So what have we got here? Weapons experimentation and controlled research? What?" He looked at Matt and was somewhat disappointed by his reply.

"We believe we have a serial killer with no obvious agenda that is politically or otherwise motivated. We have no idea how or why the victims are chosen, whoever is doing it is certainly keen to remain detached in every way and doesn't like getting their hands dirty." Matt went back to his brief case and pulled out what looked like a wireless router for a domestic internet supply.

"This is where I come into to the investigation. I've been tracking these calls and in each case we have located it to the source and found one of these. I'm not certain yet but I believe each new case represents a new device used to scramble to original source of the trigger signal. I haven't been able to get passed this device to find the signal origin. I have found these devices in Tokyo, Sydney, Stuttgard, Glasgow, London..... the list goes on. This guy has been one step ahead of me the whole way, each time I've located one of these relays the transmissions have moved to the next one. This one." He passed it to Toshiko. "I found in Birmingham in a self storage facility, yesterday afternoon. It was the one transmitting to Ianto's mobile."

Tosh was turning it over her hands, admiring the workmanship. "This is well made." She commented.

Matt nodded. "They all are. I have personally taken apart three of these and found no forensic evidence what so ever, I can't even tell you where the componenants were made, it is entirely home built by someone extremely skilled. I have two units for you to analyse Miss Sato."

Tosh passed the device over to Jack who was frowning at it intently. "I've seen one of these before." He muttered.

Matt and Tosh were both watching as he carefully prised the casing apart with his fingers and peering at the guts of the device.

"This is Cyber technology. Tosh look at this, remember from the clean up at Canary Wharf?" He handed it back to her pointing at a group of circuits within the device.

"That looks like the emotional inhibitor."

Matt watched with interest. "Jeez, I wish I'd been allowed to come to you guys sooner."

Owen broke the moment. "You were saying that that is the device used to transmit to Ianto's phone. Does that mean he is out of danger?"

Matt swung round and smiled at the medic. "Yes, so far as I know, one device, one victim, but this is only the tenth one I've tracked. It took me a long time to figure out how to locate them, but the last ten.... that's how it's been. It's still not good enough though. The only trackable signal is the one used to kill, the other signals used to activate whatever it is that happens in the brain, well they don't even register, the only reason we know about them is because of the mobile phone records listing withheld numbers and that's only on the handsets, not the company records."

"So when you get the next signal the person is already dead?" Gwen stated the obvious..... "But Ianto?"

"Got lucky." Owen answered.

Jack looked at his medic, fully acknowledging the fact that it was Owen's quick thinking that had saved Ianto's life he mouthed a silent thank you at his doctor and nodded with understanding. Matt didn't fail to notice the private exchange and smiled quietly to himself.

"So, where do we go from here?" Owen asked.

Matt sat down and shrugged. "I'll be honest, I don't know. I was kinda hoping you guys would be able use what I have to help me catch this guy."

Tosh sighed. "Is it someone from Torchwood One? I mean is it possible one of the survivors did this?"

"Cyber technology is turning up all over the world. We manage to track and intercept most of it with UNITs help, but I'm guessing whoever has it, knows what they are doing with it, but they must also have knowledge of the sound technology used to make these bad things happen as well." Jack was looking thoughtful.

"More than one or two people then?" Owen surmised.

"That was the consensus at the Bureau." Matt added.

"Ok." Jack rose to his feet and looked out of the window for a moment. "Tosh work with Matt in examining the device and see if there is any way of tracking the weaker signals. Owen and Gwen I want to go through all of these case notes, I cannot believe that these are random victims, see if there is anything.... you know the drill.... make good use of our special access. I'll talk to Ianto about the Canary Wharf survivors club." He turned to Matt. "I gather you'll be sticking around for a while."

Matt nodded. "I've got a hotel room here in Cardiff. I want to see this through to the end and I've been given free reign on this by my superiors."

Jack nodded. "Good." Knowing full well he was intending on Retconning the guy when all was done. They each got up and left the room and Matt followed Tosh who still had the device clutched in her hand.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I have re read this through and discovered a couple of minor plot niggles... this is what happens when you try to write with far too much going on your life and I finally have both my parents back at home and on the mend.... my thanks for all those good wishes that have been sent our way.**

**Mc Parrott... you are quite right; POV writing is something I struggle with.... too many short movie scripts and story boards and I tend to write 'camera style' so I am working on it.... Anyway continuing on and of course boys and girls thank you for your support in general, people have been kind enough to give me feed back over the last year on all of my stories and it is much appreciated!**

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART 12**

Ianto opened his eyes to find Jack looking at him from his place on the edge of the cot, where Matt had been sitting not that long before. He automatically grasped Jack's hand.

"Is Owen going to let me out of here?" He offered up his half smile and Jack just grinned broadly at him and the familiar and very private gesture.

"That look is not going to work on me Jones, I know better than to upset Owen."

Ianto sat himself up and readjusted the pillows a bit before leaning against them, semi reclined.

"I feel fine Jack, just a little tired."

But Jack was watching the heart monitor and shaking his head, he knew enough to see that the readings were not yet normal.

"Owen says 48 hours with a normal heart rhythm then you can get out of here and not before, just be a good patient for him so he can stop complaining about you."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Still no coffee and no sex then?"

"'Fraid not, sorry."

"So." Down to business then. "Do you think that Matt can help?"

Jack nodded absently rubbing his thumb over the back of Ianto's hand. "Yes, he already has, Tosh and he are looking over the evidence now. He's been working on this for a while, there's a hell of a lot more victims than we first thought." Jack hesitated for a moment watching Ianto's face closely, but it remained open, his expression relaxed. "He brought a device with him, the one being used to transmit the signals, there are Cyber components inside it. It's possible that it came from Torchwood One or one its survivors." He felt Ianto's fingers tighten around his own.

"You can't be serious? I thought everything had been accounted for."

Jack blanched at the obvious horror in Ianto's voice. "There's no way to be certain. You know what a mess Canary Wharf was in at the end of the battle, you managed to get Lisa and all of that equipment out undetected, someone else......."

"Jack, I can't believe it, if you're thinking of the others. I've been in constant contact with those left alive, most of them can barely string 2 sentences together and the others were successfully Retconned. Emily is the only one Compos Mentis and she's with Torchwood 2. Jack there's no way unless someone else survived that we don't know about, the list of the missing is as long as the list of the dead."

"So I need to focus on those missing then."

Ianto nodded. "Pull the files up on the laptop Jack, I may as well go through them here, give me something to do."

"Ok. I'm sorry we have to drag this up again Yan." Jack carefully tugged him forwards into a comforting embrace and Ianto fell into it happily.

"So am I Jack. Yvonne's legacy just keeps coming back to haunt us. Is there a chance that you're wrong about this?"

Jack carded his fingers through Ianto's hair. "There's more than one person involved, but I think this is our best starting point to search through."

Ianto snaked his arms around Jack's waist. "Stay with me for a minute."

Jack kissed his forehead and held on a little more firmly.

It was Owen that broke the tranquil moment.

"Oi, put the Tea Boy down!"

They eased themselves apart stealing a quick kiss as Jack slid off the bed. "I'll get the laptop, want a drink?"

Ianto smiled. "Coffee, but I guess I better settle for orange juice."

"I'll be back shortly."

Ten minutes later and Jack was back with one of Tosh's laptops, a plate of cheese and pickle sandwiches (Ianto's favourite) and a glass of fresh juice. Ianto shovelled the food down pretty quickly and Owen watched in abject horror at how rapidly the impromptu snack was consumed. Ianto was looking and feeling considerably happier for it and Jack was pleased to note that the colour had started to come back to Ianto's cheeks. Ianto sat with the computer on his bed and began tapping into the old Torchwood personnel database and Jack remained at his side as Ianto worked. He had a lot of questions and was worried about the sudden appearance of Matt, whom Ianto had never previously mentioned.

"So, you wanna tell me about Matt?" Jack asked doing his level best to sound merely curious. He was aware of Owen working behind him at his computer terminal and tried to ignore his presence.

Ianto didn't look up from his screen.

"We met at Cambridge. I got badly drunk during the first week of my first term away from my parents and he stopped me from doing something really stupid with this guy called Gerrad. When I woke up the next day I was lying on top of him, fully dressed on his couch and first thing I did was vomit."

Jack couldn't help but smile at the image. "Is this the same Ianto Jones you are talking about?"

Ianto glanced at him and they exchanged grins, a wistful look in Ianto's eyes. "It was before anything bad in my life happened. I was happy, I loved being at university and two weeks after I got there I fell in love with Matt. He was just perfect Jack and so was my life."

Ianto stopped what he was working on and pushed the laptop aside. He grasped Jack's hands. "We lived in an idyllic bubble and then right at the end of my third year, just after my exams, Tad died. He had a heart attack and he was gone, just like that. I was supposed to go to America with Matt. We even had the plane tickets and everything. In the end I just couldn't go. It broke his heart and mine, but I couldn't do it. My Mam was left with huge debts because Tad's business had failed and I just couldn't leave her alone. I took the job at Torchwood because the money was good.... Four months later I met Lisa."

Jack was looking down at their entwined fingers. "Do you regret leaving him?"

Their foreheads touched as Ianto wanted to keep his voice down. "No and Yes... I haven't thought about it in a long time. He would've given me anything and everything. I wouldn't have had to go through Canary Wharf and Lisa, but to be honest Jack." He could feel the sagging of Jack's shoulders. "I know this life isn't perfect, we're not perfect; but nothing in this universe would make me want to change it for anything else." He whispered over wrought with a flood of emotion that had come from nowhere. He sucked in a strength gathering breath.

"Now, we have work to do."

Jack pulled away and nodded at him lost for words for moment. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry."

Ianto squeezed his fingers. "Don't be Jack. I just want us to be ok."

"Me too."

Owen tried his best not to listen in, really preferring not to know the sordid details of his colleague's relationships he slipped out of the medical bay and went and joined Gwen at her desk who was looking in Jack and Ianto's direction, the tops of their heads visible from where she sat.

"Can we take this up to the boardroom, there's more desk space in there."

Gwen was well aware that Owen was attempting to distract her from Ianto and Jack, but she asked anyway.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Owen shook his head. "Nah mate, they're good, Jack's just worried about his health, and bloody Tea Boy is milking it if you ask me." He replied spreading some of the files across the table.

Gwen settled herself down to the long task of going through all the files Matt had brought with him.

"So what do you reckon to Matt then?"

Owen pulled a bunch of the files toward himself and began skimming them.

"Dunno really, he's a yank, he's FBI and he used to shag Ianto.... sounds a bit like Jack to me. God this is going to take forever!"

Gwen silently agreed with him. "Jack's still annoyed with me over what happened with the Bevan's; do you think he'll ever forgive me?"

Owen's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "It's not Jack's forgiveness you need to worry about. You really put Ianto on the spot Gwen and don't tell me that there wasn't an ulterior motive behind it, it was obvious what you were trying to do."

The file in Gwen's hand was slapped down onto the table. "Not to me it wasn't... spell it out Owen, what was I trying to do?" She snapped.

Owen didn't even bother to grace her with a look. "Stop drooling over a man you cannot have, who doesn't want you." Though he wasn't entirely that Jack didn't want her. "Jeez Gwen, you're hardly back from the honeymoon."

Her glare would have cut through steel. "How dare you!"

Owen sighed and finally looked up, very bored. "What? Speak the truth? Just get on with your life woman and stop trying to interfere with theirs."

Gwen was fuming but she focussed on the paperwork in front of her. "Can we just get on with this?"

"Gladly."


	13. Chapter 13

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART 13**

The following morning Ianto woke up to the sounds of Owen bustling about the autopsy bay, trying to whistle which was another thing he had discovered he could no longer do, but he tried anyway and it came out as a sort huffy hissy noise. Ianto made to roll on his side and discovered that Jack was curled around him on the cot, face buried against his neck and snoring lightly. Ianto smiled at him affectionately then proceeded to wake him by jabbing his ribs with his fingers. Jack lurched upright in a daze.

"Ow!"

"My legs are dead, you need to move Jack."

Owen pretended to ignore them as Jack stretched and got to his feet, the two hour nap, squashed up like that had not been nearly enough, but Ianto at least looked well rested. Ianto sat up and looked disgustedly down at the IV lead still attached to his arm and yesterday's stale clothing.

"Owen can I be detached, need a pee and a shower."

Owen stopped in his tracks and turned to Ianto. "Yes, but take it easy, no shower sex and come straight back in here when you're done so I can check you over. Your over night obbos were all in the green, so with luck I should be able to discharge you tomorrow."

Ianto was relieved, and padded barefoot off to the locker rooms Jack close on his heels.

An hour and a half later the whole of Torchwood 3 and Matt Carter were gathered in the boardroom and Matt spent the first ten minutes of the meeting cooing over Ianto's coffee.

"You have no idea how much I have missed that. You've still got that magic Yanni."

Ianto wanted to hide under the table at the use of a long forgotten pet name. Tosh and Gwen were both eyeballing him with amused expressions.

"Yanni?" Gwen grinned. "That is so cute."

All Ianto could do was roll his eyes and sip on his own coffee, which he nearly dropped when Jack squeezed his knee under the table.

"He used to have half the English department round our flat because of the coffee, even Professor Taff, now she was scary."

Ianto's eyes lit up at the memory. "God, I'd forgotten her, she had this cat that she used take with her everywhere so she always had this bag over her shoulder with Wicca in it, he was evil. He used to hide behind the door in the bathroom and rip your ankles to pieces whenever you got out of the shower. I threatened to skin it once."

Matt was laughing. "You remember Mike putting it in the washing machine?"

Ianto lowered his cup and joined in. "God yes, the thing was howling like mad and Taffy was running round the house trying to find him and when she let him out he leapt out and landed on her head and she couldn't get him off."

Gwen, Tosh and Owen all exchanged bemused looks having never seen Ianto let his guard down enough to properly laugh without the aid of alcohol. Jack however just enjoyed the moment, he loved to see Ianto when he was like this; it was so rare.

"You didn't switch the machine on did you?" Tosh asked rather horrified.

"Oh jeez no, we were naughty but not nasty, though I have to confess that cat deserved it."

It was some time before the giggling between the two men died down and everyone composed themselves, sort of.

"Right now, time to be serious!"

Ianto just sniggered at that and the two of them started laughing again at the private joke, Ianto and Matt both had tears streaking down their faces. Owen leant back in his chair, watching the exchange with fascination, he half wondered if Ianto and Jack had as much fun as these two had obviously had. During all this Ianto had gripped Jack's hand tightly under the table and not let go. Eventually calm was restored and Jack decided to get the meeting started before they could be distracted again. He glanced across at Matt and nodded his thanks and Matt smiled back, not knowing what Jack was thanking him for. Jack stood up and Ianto released his hand.

"Ok, once again we find ourselves in here, hopefully this time with more answers than we had yesterday. Matt, Tosh what have you got for us?"

Tosh pulled out her laptop and keyed up some diagrams which came up on the plasma screen at the end of the room.

"Matt and I stripped down the three units he brought with him, they were identical in every respect. Each has a small processor, a signal generator and and transmitter with a small battery pack that lasts 30 hours. In the processors we found the files for 6 seperate transmissions one mobile phone number and dial up software. Essentially these devices are made as complete units. They are programmed to dial one number 6 times at equally distanced intervals of time, each transmission is slightly different from the last and the final transmission seems to be the kill shot. The signal comes from a highly sophisticated sonic modulator, but it isn't like the one I made Jack, this one is much, much cleverer. Somehow the signal taps into the memory centres of the brain, I don't know, but now we've been able to break down the device we can replay the signals and study what happens."

Owen leant forwards his elbows on the table. "I thought these things were tailored to individuals?"

"Yes, they are." Matt answered.

"So how can we possibly experiment?"

Ianto looked from Matt to Owen. "Me, I presume."

Everyone looked at the young Welshman and Jack immediately quashed the idea. "No, we don't need to test and experiment, we've seen firsthand what it does and I will not permit......"

"But we don't know how it works, only that it does." Tosh reminded him.

Jack wouldn't argue the point. "No experiments. So what else?"

Matt got up and paced about the room for a moment. "We can assume at least 200 or so of these devices have been made. Tosh tell me that some of the parts are non terrestrial so it's unlikely they were made or reproduced here which means there is a supply coming in from off world or the current supply is limited to how many they have acquired. What did you call them? Cybermen?"

Tosh nodded.

"It's safe to assume that after that Ghosts incident that these Cyber parts are spread worldwide so I am deducing that our killer is globe trotting to get the parts he needs and then when he's done he moves on."

"So if they are making these devices and simply leaving them randomly around being a long way off before we can track any signal, how the hell do we catch them?" Gwen demanded.

Matt shrugged. "Tosh has worked out a means to track the first five signals but the range is limited to about a 100km radius, which is a hell of a lot more than I managed."

Tosh smiled at the underlying compliment.

"Didn't I tell you she was good?" Ianto said with a grin and Matt nodded.

"You sure did Yanni."

Matt sat down. "We're still working on the devices, may have more by the end of the day."

"Gwen, Owen?"

Owen sighed. "Yeah, I spent the night going through all the medical details and compiled a couple lists which seemed curious. All of our victims including Ianto have the same blood type, they are all under the age of 40, there are an equal number of men to women and looking at the dates I think this killer is literally alternating between genders each time, which leads me to believe his next victim will be female. Most, but not all of the victims are known to have suffered and survived a previous trauma. That is it."

"Anything else at all?"

Gwen shook her head. "Unless you count the fact that each victim had one sibling, female victims always have a brother, males a sister, though what that tells us......"

Jack sighed. It wasn't much to go on. He turned to Ianto, who let out a sigh, this was one thing he had not relished doing, trawling over the lives of his missing colleagues from Torchwood One.

"After yesterday's revelation about the Cyber technology Jack and I took a detailed look through the list of missing personnel from Canary Wharf. We found two possible candidates." He activated the screen and Tosh's images were exchanged for two faces, one Asian female and one white male.

"This is Annir Kahn and Gordon Blakeney. Both of them were robotics and AI engineers, extremely brilliant in their field and both Oxford graduates. They studied and worked together before being recruited by Yvonne in 2001. They were previously employed by Dr Tanizaki." Ianto stopped at that point feeling dreadfully uncomfortable. He started when Jack rested his hand on Ianto's shoulder reassuringly.

"Keep going Yan."

Ianto and Jack exchanged brief smiles and Ianto continued. Matt wondered what that had been about and a made a note to ask Ianto later.

"Annir Kahn was alive and well when I saw last, which was just before the dimensional breach started....."

Matt straightened up. "Wait a minute, you tellin' me you were there?"

Ianto nodded.

Matt got to his feet and strode round the table and hugged him tightly forcing Jack to move back. "Yanni I had no idea, I am so sorry. If I'd have known."

Ianto edged out of the embrace a trifle embarrassed. "It's ok Matt, really."

Matt kept looking at him with concern and finally went back to his seat. Gwen watched the display with mild amusement, but was disappointed to see that Jack wasn't slightly ruffled by the display of affection.

Ianto carried on. "As I was saying. Annir Kahn may have escaped the building around the same time that I did. The two of them were/are scientists first and foremost. Neither of them had field ops experience or training, they were lab based the whole time they worked for Torchwood. Yvonne loved them, they were her favourites, developed a lot of small arms kit and backwards engineered a number of gadgets from the archives. I didn't know either of them personally and I spoke to their families yesterday evening and no one is admitting to having seen them since the battle." Ianto heaved out a sigh.


	14. Chapter 14

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART 14**

"Pictures of Annir and Gordon are currently being circulated through the usual sources so hopefully that will turn something up." Ianto paused for a moment before rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The third possibility is Oliver Hallet." Another face appeared on the screen, a middle aged handsome black man with close cropped hair and bright white smile. "Ollie worked with me in 'Secure Archives' and he was a communications specialist. He does have extensive field training and spent 3 years in Bosnia attached to the British Army, he also served with the UN out in the Sudan. He was reduced to 'office status' after being injured and losing his lower left leg, however he still remained fit and active and beat me at squash on a number of occasions, as I am sure you have guessed he was related to Lisa, her uncle to be precise."

Owen hissed out a curse. "So you telling me this could be personal?"

Matt was frowning and his gaze went from Owen, to Ianto and then to Jack who was replying.

"It's highly unlikely that it is personal, so far as we know he would be aware that Lisa died at Canary Wharf, that's what the records stated from the start."

Ianto nodded. "I made sure of that, I didn't want to risk anyone trying to find her until I was certain she was.... well." He trailed off feeling distinctly ill at ease. "It may not be any of these people Owen, personally I doubt that it is. Ollie was a good man."

Gwen reached her hand out and gently patted Ianto's arm. It took great force of will for him not to move away.

Matt watched all the exchanges with increasing concern. "Someone wanna tell me the story here?"

Ianto looked down at his hands then got up and left the room closing the door behind him, Jack followed him out. It was Tosh who broke the awkward silence.

"I think you should just pretend that didn't happen, sorry Matt it's classified." It was the best she could come up with off the cuff and she didn't like it because she did like Matt.

Matt nodded seeming to understand and deciding not to push.

Jack followed Ianto as he strode purposefully into the kitchenette and got himself a glass of water, which he chugged down in rapid gulps.

"Sorry Jack I just need a minute."

Jack was there at his side, hands shoved into his pockets.

"No need to apologise and take all the time you want."

The alarms went off.

"Shit."

The two ran straight to Tosh's terminal and Ianto plonked himself down in her chair and began tapping at the keys to find out what was going on. They were quickly joined by the rest of the team and Matt as they gathered around Tosh's desk.

"Looks like a weevil sighting, the bloody docks again." Ianto explained.

Jack was already checking his side arm. "Gwen, get tooled up. Matt care to join us for a little weevil hunt?"

Ianto's eyebrows shot up. "Jack? Is that wise?"

Jack was grinning at him in a way that wasn't remotely reassuring.

"You can handle a gun Matt, right?"

Matt lifted the front of his tailored jacket and revealed his holstered side arm. "I can and yes, I'm curious as to what a weevil actually is."

Ianto leapt out of his seat. "We've one in containment, I can show you her, not one out in the field!"

Jack faced him. "Yan, relax, he won't come to any harm. You have my word. I'll make him wait in the SUV, I promise!"

Ianto knew he'd lost the argument, well aware that Matt was more than capable of taking care of himself. He watched as the three of them bundled out through the cog door at a run. Ianto slipped his com into his ear and spoke.

"I'll direct you when you get there and have the police clear the area."

Jack's affirmative came back through the ear piece. Ianto sat back in the chair and huffed out a worried sigh.

Three hours later and the cog door rolled back revealing Gwen and Jack struggling through with an unconscious weevil between them and Matt at their heels grinning wickedly. He trotted down the steps and ran to Ianto gathering him up in a hug before stepping back and kissing his cheek.

"Wow, man that was fun!" He was laughing excitedly. "You get to do that?"

Ianto somewhat in shock was nodding, before he collected himself. "You didn't stay in the car, did you?"

Matt shrugged in a gesture far too reminiscent of Jack's to be comfortable. "No way man. Come on Yanni, it was great!"

Ianto was shaking his head with barely concealed annoyance. "It was dangerous and Jack should not have......"

"Should not have what?" Jack's voice boomed up from the steps leading to the cells. Ianto saw that he was grinning too still high on the adrenalin of the chase. Ianto sagged, he was too tired for this and he sat back down and rubbed at his fore head.

"How's the new inmate?"

Jack was there at his side now, kneeling slightly to bring his face level with Ianto's.

"Don't get pissy with me Yan, I told you he would be safe, he is, stop.... being... so damn...."

Ianto threw him a glare and Jack knew he was in trouble then. "Last time we took someone outside of the team on an op he got shot in the shoulder. The rules are there for a reason Jack. I do not want to be phoning Matt's husband in America and explaining to him why he isn't coming home!" Ianto lurched to his feet and stomped off toward the autopsy bay.

Matt stood there, the wind well and truly blown out of his sails. "Shit, Jack... I'm sorry I didn't intend."

Jack stood up and smiled at him. "No, not your fault Matt and the bottom line is, Ianto is quite right. The apology should be mine. I better get down there."

Matt nodded and watched as Jack went after Ianto. A moment later he heard Owen yelling.

"Out of my consulting room Harkness, my patient is trying to rest!"

Matt couldn't help but smile as he went off to find Tosh to continue their work.

Jack steadfastly ignored Owen's outburst and came into the autopsy bay to find Ianto, who had settled himself to lie down on the exam couch. Jack hesitated on seeing the look of absolute desolation on Ianto's face and he turned to his acerbic medic.

"Owen could you leave us for a moment?"

Huffing a little, just for effect and because he could Owen swept out of his domain and went to find to Gwen to ask her about the weevil hunt. Ianto rolled over, turning his back to Jack.

"I really do not want to talk to you right now Jack."

Jack edged forwards anyway and made his way around the cot pulling up a stool and sitting close by. He reached a tentative hand out which Ianto grasped without hesitation. Jack was relieved.

"You were right Ianto. I'm sorry. Sometimes I just get so excited about things and show off."

Ianto smiled at him. "Its very endearing Jack, most of the time, but the rest of us don't have a 'come back to life' clause, you know how volatile some of the weevils can be. We're used to it, we know what to expect."

"I'm sorry, but you know I would not have put him at risk."

"I know that Jack. You just increase the danger to yourself and Gwen by having to watch out for him, that's not fair on her either." Ianto eased his hand away and tucked it under his side, yawning madly. "I'm sorry if I sounded a bit hysterical in there. I just don't want to lose anyone else I care about and that includes you, even if you can come back, you still die Jack and you know how much I hate that. If you want to show off, do a strip or something."

Jack laughed and then leaned forwards and kissed Ianto's forehead. "You ok?"

Ianto nodded. "Just tired. I guess Owen was right, the whole drowning thing does take it out of you."

Jack froze at that, realising somewhat belatedly just how close he had come to losing the younger man the day before yesterday. He ran his fingers through Ianto's hair and watched as Ianto's eyelids shuttered down.

"Uhhmm that's nice."

"Get some sleep Yan." And Jack kissed him again before leaving him to rest.

Owen was hovering at the upper level and he grabbed Jack's arm as he went by. "What part of don't get him excited did you not understand?"

Jack frowned. "He's ok isn't he?"

Owen nodded. "Yes, yes, but that is not the point Jack. You can be such a twat sometimes!" he released Jack's arm. "Bugger off and let him sleep."

Jack obeyed heading back to the computer on Gwen's desk.


	15. Chapter 15

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART 15**

Ianto awoke to the sound of whispered conversation. Two American accents. One voice either side of his head. Or maybe it was just Jack in stereo. That was too scary to contemplate and Ianto's eyes snapped open. The room was very dark and all Ianto could see was the shadow of Jack's form.

"Hey."

Ianto stretched and eased himself into the gentle touches against his forehead.

"What time is it?"

"Two am. How do you feel?"

Ianto searched out Jack's hand with his own and finding it he squeezed his fingers and interlaced them with his own.

"M'ok. Hungry actually."

"Hardly surprising, your last meal was at breakfast. I saved you some pizza."

Ianto sat up, still holding onto Jack's hand. "Mmmm. Cold pizza, rapture." He murmured leaning forwards and meeting Jack with a gentle kiss, he hitched back straight away.

"You stink of garlic!"

Jack grinned, his teeth practically glowing white in the dim light. "Well when the cat's unconscious in the medical bay.......Actually blame him he ordered the garlic bread.... I just ate it."

Ianto turned to discover Matt sitting on the bottom step. "Why aren't you at your hotel?"

Matt too was smiling, though slightly less leery than Jack. "I was worried about you and also made use of the phones here to call Simon."

Ianto nodded easing himself off the cot and finally releasing his grip on Jack. "Is Simon ok with you being away?"

Matt shook his head. "He hates it, I hate it, but it's the job and sometimes it means one of us has to be away. He works for the Bureau too."

The mood felt heavy so Jack in typical Harkness fashion decided to lighten it. "So, I always thought you FBI types came in pairs.... where's agent Scully?"

Ianto sniggered. "You know, you do look like Mulder, got any flying saucers we don't know about?"

Matt shook his head, smiling. "You wish! I don't come in pairs normally because I get seconded, this is my first solo case, but I'm still having to work with Frank back at Quantico in behavioural sciences.... He's the serial killer profiler extraordinaire; he's a genius I'm privileged to be working with him."

"Doctor Frank Sampson?"

Matt was surprised. "Yes, how do you know him?"

Ianto suddenly looked rather sheepish and Jack was instantly alert.

"Ianto?"

Ianto looked back at Jack as he perched himself on the edge of the cot. "Remember Brynnblaidd?"

Jack nodded, how could he forget?

"I asked him about it, those people, why they would do what they did, I sent him copies of the case notes, got a thesis back from him a month or so later, we've chatted a couple of times since. He's a useful contact. I added his assessment to the case file, in case we come across something like that again. I also added some of his comments into the search parameters for our monitoring program."

Jack just felt a flood of warmth for the younger man. "You really are brilliant, you know."

Ianto shrugged off the compliment then looked at Matt. "We nearly all got eaten by Cannibals last year....." He trailed off and hopped down from the cot. "Coffee?"

Jack shook his head. "Not at 2 am Yan and you are still banned until Owen says otherwise."

Ianto rolled his eyes in frustration. "The only reason my heart rate is up is because of caffeine withdrawal. Orange juice once again then." He padded off, passing Matt on the bottom step. Matt watched Jack, watching Ianto leave; he waited until he was sure that Ianto was out of ear shot.

"So... you and Yanni?"

Jack hauled in a breath; he was surprised the question hadn't come sooner. "Yep."

"So who was Lisa?"

Ok, he hadn't been expecting that. "She was Ianto's girlfriend, she died as a result of what happened at Canary Wharf, its complicated and painful, I wouldn't enquire further if I were you."

Matt's curiosity was piqued. "But you know I am going to. Come on Jack, Ianto's important to me."

Jack baulked suddenly feeling extremely defensive. "Funny how he never mentioned you."

"We ended badly Jack; both of us were very hurt. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with him; I still care, a great deal." Matt sighed. "Don't do this jealous shit; we were getting on just fine. I'm not here to take him away; I just want to know he's ok."

He saw Jack's shoulders slump. "After all the shit he's been through I am amazed his sanity is intact. He and I are difficult, challenging and absolutely beautiful in equal measure. He scares me, he animates me, makes me laugh, and makes me mad.... God if I had the words to describe us."

Matt understood, only too well.

"There's a lot of hurt and pain between us and yet he is always there for me, watching my back, keeping me, loving me and trusting me. I don't deserve him." Jack finally stood up and paced about, a trifle embarrassed by his own admission to this stranger.

"He's a good and decent man Jack."

Jack nodded. "So why'd you guys break up?"

Matt sighed and leaned back against the rail. "His father died from a heart attack. Ianto was knocked sideways, he idolised his dad, there was some stupid fuck up with the solicitors finalising his estate and a lot of money went missing, leaving his mother in serious debt and unable to cope. Ianto and I were just weeks away from leaving the country to get married in the States and he backed out, he wouldn't leave his family. I took it as a rejection, we argued bitterly and I left the UK without him. I have never regretted anything more in my life."

"Yet you moved on?"

Matt shook his head. "Not initially. He emailed to tell me he'd got a new Job in London with Torchwood; that was the last I heard from him until his call the other day. Every email I sent to him was bounced back; I later found out that Torchwood had done that. I just assumed he was no longer interested and gave up. I met Simon, and then I moved on. I never wanted to leave him, but like I said to Yan earlier; I was lucky, things worked out for me, better than I could have hoped for. I'm just sorry they didn't for Ianto."

It took them both a moment to register the fact that Ianto was standing there at the top of the tiled steps, having heard everything said the younger man made his presence felt and virtually ran down the steps to Jack and flung himself into a tight embrace. Matt turned away for a moment as the two of them held on to one another very closely. Ianto finally stepped back and turned to Matt.

"I wouldn't change any of it, everything I have seen and done Matt. I wouldn't change any of it, because I am here now and no matter how complicated things are with me and Jack I am never leaving him, I learned that lesson from what I did to you. I'm so sorry."

Matt rose to his feet and pulled Ianto into a fierce hug. Jack stood back, thinking maybe that this wasn't going to be such a bad start to the day after all.

**AN; YOU MAYBE WONDERING WHY i'VE GONE A BIT SAPPY HERE.... TRUST ME IT IS RELEVANT AND THE ACTION PICS UP NEXT CHAPTER. THANK YOU THE REVIEWS HAVE BEEN HEARTWARMING. DEETA.**


	16. Chapter 16

**THE SOUND OD SNOW PART 16**

**TWO DAYS LATER.......**

Matt and Tosh were both engrossed in their work when the alarms went off. Gwen and Ianto went straight to her terminal to check the Rift data and Gwen sighed as a spew of information scrolled down the screen. It made no sense to her but it was obvious that Ianto knew exactly what it was. Fuck.

"Jack get down here now." He started furiously typing at the computer and Tosh was soon leaning over his shoulder, her eyes widening as she recognised what was on the screen. Jack was there a moment later and even Owen ventured up from an autopsy to find out what was going on.

"Tosh, can you get a fix?"

Tosh went to her own terminal and shoved her glasses on. "The Stadium Jack."

Jack was running to his office and yelling over his shoulder as he went. "Ianto we need the two particle guns and the spare power packs from the armoury."

Ianto went and Gwen followed knowing he'd need a hand carrying them to the SUV. Four minutes later and Ianto was driving himself and Jack toward the Stadium at breakneck speed.

Matt and Tosh were watching the progress of the SUV as it sped through the mid day Cardiff streets and Gwen was busy on the phone trying to get the stadium evacuated and cordoned off. A third monitor that Owen was watching intently displayed two.... well Owen hadn't a clue what they were stomping along the tunnel that led from the dressing rooms to the pitch with what looked like large jagged blades in their clawed hands.

"They're headed towards the pitch Tosh, there's definitely only two showing up so far, what the fuck are they?"

Tosh was relaying the information to Ianto and Jack before she returned her attention to Owen's question.

"Ianto called then Watchers, there's a TW One file on them, they turned up in London a couple of times, they're rogue hunters, bio mechanical, they come here every so often to steal people for body parts, but usually there's a whole troop of them, not just two."

Gwen slammed her phone down. "UNIT are sending a division there too, it seems they tracked the signal as well."

Tosh nodded. "I'll advise Jack they'll need to co-ordinate their efforts."

Matt watched in silence as the three Torchwood staff co-ordinated over the coms, guiding Jack and Ianto as well as the UNIT team. He was on the edge of his seat watching the CCTVs of the Stadium in abject horror as weapons fire was exchanged taking out two UNIT soldiers. Gwen was back on the phone with the police and Owen was getting his med bay ready for... well ...if it was needed. There were great sighs of relief all round when 16 hours later Jack announced the 'all clear'. Tosh was already working on the cover story and Gwen and Owen went to join their colleagues in the field to get clean-up underway.

Matt was stunned and finally made himself useful by ordering large amounts of take outs and putting the coffee on. He marvelled at Torchwood and what it did and realised just how small his own world actually was, he finally understood why Ianto had no regrets about his life. It was 4 am before a bedraggled team returned, all talk and laughter as they stepped in through the roller door. They piled into the boardroom and tucked into the food that Matt had got ready and he sat and watched as the entire team exchanged their own stories about their dangerous and exciting day. At the end of it Jack dragged Ianto by the hand in the direction of his office and ordered everyone else home. It was at this point that Matt realised that no progress had been made on his own case as a result, he would need more help if he stood any chance of catching the person behind these bizarre deaths.

The following day started at 7am for Ianto when he rolled out of Jack's cot and went for a shower. Twenty minutes later he was dressing in jeans and T-shirt that belonged to Jack, having no more clean suits at the Hub. He muttered unhappily about the ill fitting garments and looking like a sack as he made his way to the kitchenette to start the morning brew. Two hours of deep sleep had not been nearly enough and his shoulders ached after the excursions of the previous day. He found Jack feeding Myfanwy and the two of them sat on the gantry watching her fly about near the ceiling, sipping on their coffees in companionable silence. Jack's arm found its way around his waist and Ianto leaned against him, relaxed and content to just stay there in the peace and quiet with him forever. He glanced across the empty Hub and realised there was a message flashing up on the screen of Gwen's computer.

"I suppose I should deal with that." He murmured.

Jack squeezed him briefly. "You should have stayed in bed and got some more sleep."

"You didn't."

Jack smiled into his hair. "I woke up and needed a pee, couldn't consider getting back into bed after that because you'd rolled over and spread out like a cat, didn't want to risk waking you."

"Uhmmm. Next time, definitely risk it, might make it worth your while."

"You might?" Jack was positively purring as Ianto gently stroked his leg.

"I might. Then again you may get a pillow fight, or decaf... you never know; you that is what makes it so exciting."

They both giggled, relishing the happy moment.

"Decaf? That's cruel."

"Yeah, but you're revenge could be very sweet." Ianto whispered into his ear careful to ensure, that his lips were close enough to just touch the sensitive skin against Jack's neck. Jack shivered.

"Bad boy."

The roller door slid back, all bells and whistles and Owen stomped over the threshold, the first thing he saw was his boss and Tea Boy mid snog.

"Oi, Harkness put him down!"

Reluctantly the two of them disengaged and Ianto rose to his feet muttering about something about dead medics needing better manners. He ambled over to Gwen's computer terminal to pick up the message. It was from Interpol. Ianto read it through and studied the attached files before calling for Jack to join him.

"We've got a lead on Oliver Hallet. His passport came up with the name Otuwu Wasabi.... I should have thought of it before, Lisa often talked about her family history, her grandparents were from Kenya. Wasabi was their family name before they anglecised and renamed themselves Hallet. The address for him is in Derby. Customs records indicate he has been in and out of the country over a dozen times during the last year, his most recent trip was to Osaka, he got back into the UK 2 weeks ago."

"Call Matt, he'll want to come in and deal with this."

Ianto frowned. "You mean we're not?"

Jack stood up and smiled at him. "It's his call, he has a much better handle on this than we do, I'm willing to follow his lead on the investigation for now."

Ianto couldn't believe his ears but he raised the receiver to make the call anyway.

Half an hour later and Matt was going over the information that Ianto had printed out for him. Ianto sat with him in the board room sipping at his coffee.

"Jack wants to know what you are planning to do."

Matt put down the papers. "I need to question this guy Ianto. I know he may not be connected, but I still have to talk to him and as you know him I'd like you to come with me."

Ianto nodded knowing that Jack would not approve one bit. Whilst his leader was happy for him to be out in the field, Ianto almost never went out there without Jack at his side.

"Jack most likely won't go for that, he'll probably want to come with you himself or send Tosh."

Matt's look was inquiring.

"Jack's a little protective of me, for which I am entirely grateful. I can handle myself but he worries, he worries about all of us, but especially me. I'll talk to him."

Ianto got up and left the board room and headed straight up to Jack's office. Gwen and Tosh were both watching him as he went, wondering what was going on so Matt came out of the boardroom and told them.

Jack looked up from the pile of reports on his desk.

"You talk to Matt?"

Ianto nodded and perched himself on the edge of Jack's desk.

"He wants me to go to Derby with him to interview him, I'd said it was up to you, but as I know him Jack, it could be helpful."

Jack couldn't argue the point even though he was reluctant. "Ok, hire a car and get there and back as soon as you can, and make sure you're armed Yan. I want your coms open as soon as you make contact with him so I know what the hell is going on and I want you wearing a flak jacket under that suit, same for Matt, just in case."

Ianto totally failed to hide his surprise.

"I trust you to take care of yourself and it'll give you and Matt some time to catch up without me hanging over your shoulder, I'm sure you guys have things to talk about."

"Jack?"

Jack smiled at his incredulity and eventually Ianto smiled back seeing only love and trust in Jack's eyes.

"We don't have the man power Ianto, you guys go and come back as quickly as you can, Tosh can keep working with the devices, the rest of us will cope with everything else."

Ianto nodded. "Thanks Jack."

"For what?"

"For you." Ianto briefly kissed his forehead and left the office and Jack with a bemused look on his face.


	17. Chapter 17

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART 17**

Ianto bundled a stack of equipment into the boot of his car and closed it down. He'd put the two bullet proof vests on the back seat and re locked his car and headed back into the Hub, hitching up Jack's jeans as he went, he'd already decided to stop by his flat before heading out to Derby to change. On entering he looked about for Matt and saw him standing in Jack's office looking vaguely uncomfortable......

Jack paced about behind his desk flicking glances at Matt and then out across the Hub.

"It's not that I don't trust Ianto. I do, implicitly."

Matt stood there trying to look impassive as Jack appeared to wear tracks into the carpet.

"It's me you don't trust."

Jack stopped and faced him with that 1000watt grin. "It's nothing personal, I just don't know you and Ianto is important to me."

"I'll watch his back, I promise, believe me I have no desire to see him hurt Jack."

Jack's gaze went back to the window and caught Ianto watching him, they exchanged smiles.

"It's not what I meant. He really has had a shit deal and more importantly it's usually me he's out in the field with. I'm relying on you, don't let me down."

Matt folded his arms across his chest. "He'll be safe with Jack, but I think Yanni is more than capable of looking after himself."

Jack met his look, the smile now nowhere in evidence. "Yeah, I know. But Oliver Hallet was someone Ianto was close to, the whole thing with his niece.... it was rough for a while and I don't want Ianto's personal feelings to cloud his judgement, I need you to be aware of that."

"Ok. Is that all?"

"Follow Ianto's lead if things seem a little odd, he has good instincts and is used to dealing with aliens and their tech, he's got all the kit you need in case." Jack really wasn't happy about this.

Matt nodded. "Right then, I guess we better be going." He turned and left the office, Jack close behind as they stepped down into the operations area of the Hub. Ianto was waiting for them car keys and files in hand. He handed them to Matt and gestured in the direction of the exit that led to the garage.

"I'll be there in a minute."

Matt took that as a polite dismissal and left. Jack stepped forwards and grasped Ianto's hands.

"Watch yourself."

Ianto rolled his eyes clearly amused by Jack's concern. "Jack, we'll be fine."

"Derby is long way from home, you'll have no back up out there."

Ianto pulled him aside toward the kitchenette and Gwen turned her to watch the exchange between them.

"What's gotten you so worried Jack?" Ianto asked in a hushed voice. Jack fussed with Ianto's fingers.

"This all comes down to Torchwood One again, I know how these things end Ianto, just be vigilant ok?"

Ianto pulled him into a hug. "I will Jack. Now, if you want me back before tomorrow I need to get going, the traffics going to be murder as it is."

Jack smiled into his neck and gave him a quick kiss before pulling back.

"Have fun."

It took Ianto only ten minutes to change into his own clothes and he decided on his favourite dark charcoal suit, mostly because he knew he'd be sitting in a car for most of the day and it wouldn't look a wrinkled mess when he finally got out of it. Jack's favourite dark red shirt and a black tie finished the look and Matt had to seriously make a concerted effort not to drool when his young ex got back behind the steering wheel of his Lexus. They set off out of Cardiff heading towards Birmingham through the commuter traffic and Ianto realised rather sourly that it was going to be a long journey. Matt riding shot gun was reading the files, but soon abandoned them in favour of conversation. He dove right in, not entirely certain of the response he'd get.

"Tell me about Lisa, Yanni."

He noticed that Ianto's grip on the steering wheel had tightened.

"Next question Matt." He responded his eyes fixed on the road.

Matt sighed and looked out of his window. "When I got your call the other day.... well, I'll be honest. I was more than bit stunned."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that."

Matt shifted in his seat so he was facing Ianto's profile and Ianto briefly turned his head and smiled.

"I kept tabs on you, so I knew that you were ok, so naturally I found out what you'd been doing at the Bureau, that's how I knew you could help us with this."

"Is it the only reason you called?"

Ianto shook his head. "I didn't know about Simon. I wouldn't have got you to come over otherwise.... I just wanted to see you again.... to apologise for what I did to you." Ianto sighed. "Why were you expecting something else?"

Matt smiled. "Hoping more like, but I see that's a waste of time. You've changed so much; you seem so much darker these days. You used to smile so easily around me."

Ianto remembered. "Time changes people Matt. I haven't had a whole lot to smile about since I ran out on you."

"Is that really how you see it?"

Ianto nodded. "It's how it was. I wasn't ready for the new life you promised me. I think used Tad's death as an excuse. Either way you got the better end of the deal."

Matt couldn't argue the point. "Yeah, I guess I did. So how did you end up at Torchwood?"

Ianto was grateful for the subject change. "They contacted me actually, Professor Cavanagh had referred me to them because of my photographic recall, turns out I have high psi ratings, and they found it useful. Only trouble was I was shit at controlling it so I ended up working in the archives, which suited me just fine."

"You met Lisa there?"

"Matt!"

"Come on Yanni, I deserve some answers, jeez, if nothing else you are still my closest friend."

Ianto shook his head rather sadly. "But you are not mine. No disrespect Matt, but you have no idea what my life is like now. The others at the Hub are my only friends, because everyone else I cared about died and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. When my life was empty those four people back in Cardiff put me back together and gave me meaning, I love them, even Gwen. I have never felt like that about my friends before. We don't always get along, but I know that they are there for me when it counts. The outside world just doesn't figure into it anymore."

Matt was surprised by how much that hurt. "Jack's got a regular little cult thing going there."

Ianto sighed. "Not really, we just don't have anything else to lose except each other. Gwen's the exception to that; it gives the rest of us something to fight for, in theory at least."

"So is Jack screwing her too?"

"No, he isn't. Though I am sure he wouldn't mind the chance. Jack is many things and not all of them nice but he is faithful and I trust him with my life and my sanity. I know it is not what you want to hear Matt, but I was a kid when were together."

"And what happened to that kid, Yanni?"

"He died at Canary Wharf Matt along with everyone else." Ianto answered tonelessly.

Matt shuddered. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For letting you go."


	18. Chapter 18

**THE SOUND OF SNOW PART 18**

Ianto chewed at his lower lip before replying. "Like I said yesterday, I've no regrets about the choices I made; the stuff that happened to me was just bad luck, for the most part.... very, very bad luck. Don't get me wrong Matt, I loved our time together, it's left me with warm, idyllic memories, but that's all they are. You can't tell me that you came here expecting something more from me."

Matt shrugged. "In some vain romantic and totally unrealistic way, yes I guess, which is so dumb because I have a great life and I love Simon like crazy. I suppose it's just all those nostalgic yearnings resurfacing after being buried for so long."

That was something Ianto could well understand. "The only thing I want is to get through each day, one day at a time and maybe if I'm lucky have a damn good fuck with Jack at the end of it. If I get that much, it's enough."

Matt couldn't fail to hide his sadness at the remark. "Sounds lonely."

It was.

Ianto's head set buzzed in his ear and Jack's welcome voice followed. Ianto smiled, he must have known or been watching the CCTV.

"Are you ok?"

Ianto found himself nodding and he pointed to his ear so that Matt understood he was taking a call.

"Are you watching?" He heard Jack's nervous hesitation.

"I was worried."

"I'm ok Jack, dying for a bloody coffee though."

"You should stop at one those services places on the way."

Ianto was smiling. "I said coffee Jack."

Jack's laughter echoed back through the ear piece and Ianto's smile widened somewhat, he loved to hear Jack laugh.

"Anyway Yan, I've news... Tosh has been able to extend the range of her scans on those transmissions, she sent the details to UNIT and they've added the signal to their standard search parameters so the UK is covered at least, hopefully we'll get lucky."

"That's good news, is there any way to block the signals?"

"Tosh is looking into that now, will keep you posted."

"Thanks Jack."

"No problem, call me if you need to talk."

Ianto nodded and disconnected the call, feeling comforted by the fact that Jack was worried enough to be watching, even if it was a little obsessive. Ianto gave Matt a brief smile.

"Tosh has got UNIT scanning for the transmissions on a countrywide basis, she's working on how to block the signals, so maybe we can do something before some else dies."

Matt couldn't help but be impressed. "She's one smart lady."

Ianto puffed his chest with pride. "Yes, she certainly is."

Jack sighed and hung up the phone and returned half his attention to the paperwork and half on the monitor he had had Tosh put on his desk connected to the link on the CCTV in Ianto's car. He knew it was a bit creepy but after the whole missing 48 hours thing, he had insisted on the camera's and mics being installed in Ianto's car if only to allay the young man's fears about the terrible nightmares of murder and mayhem that had followed that period. It had taken weeks for Ianto to trust himself to be on his own again. Jack knew deep down he should leave Ianto at least some moments of privacy, but the young man had been clearly relieved when he had called. It was vaguely comforting to know that Ianto trusted him enough not to abuse his position as his boss, even though Jack did on a regular basis. In the few weeks since Gwen's wedding Jack had become increasingly aware of his deepening affections toward Ianto. Maybe that did have something to do with the fact that Gwen was now married on some unconscious level. Jack didn't see the point in questioning it anymore, the feelings were there and for once in his very long life he decided to run with them because he knew that all too soon Ianto would be gone forever and forever was a very long time indeed. He sighed not wanting to slide into melancholy he faced the grim task of signing off this quarter's expense sheets.

The rest of the drive was taken in companionable chatter about music, babies and the new President Obama, whom Ianto had a bit of a crush on.... so what if the bloke was straight, he had a fantastic voice and a cute arse. The Lexus was parked on a terraced street just round the corner from the target address and both men donned their vest and put their tailored jackets back on. Ianto checked his gun and replaced it into the shoulder holster that he hated wearing and got out of the car and stretched the stiffness of 6 hours driving out of his shoulders. Matt watched as the younger man went to the boot and pulled out a back pack and slung it over his shoulder. He closed it down and locked the car and then produced what looked like a PDA from his jacket pocket. He studied it for some time before touching his ear piece.

"Ok, Jack we're about to go in, is Tosh there?"

Matt was at his side listening in to the 3 way communications.

"Yep, we're standing by. Be careful."

"Will do."

Ianto led the way and Matt feeling very much like he had no chance of taking charge of the situation trailed along in his wake, still alert. He checked his watch, it was almost 4pm and the early evening was warm and bright, sunlight slanting along the narrow terraced street lined either side with parked cars. They halted outside the address, the front door right on the pavement and Matt raised his hand to the doorbell.

"Wait!" Ianto hissed consulting his PDA. Matt looked over his shoulder, the readings making no sense to him at all and he realised Ianto was speaking to Tosh.

"Tosh, my scanner is reading some unusual radiation, are we safe to go in?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Yep, Ianto its fine, nothing harmful, you're clear."

Ianto nodded and Matt pressed the buzzer. They stood poised with hands ready for their weapons. No one answered and Matt pressed the buzzer a second time. Ianto bent forwards and lifted the little flap of the letter box in the middle of the double glazed door. A vile smell wafted out and Ianto backed off a slightly and hammered on the door.

"Mr Wasabi, it's the police open the door."

Still nothing. Ianto sighed and promptly pulled a gadget from his back pack of tricks and pressed to the door lock. Matt was gob smacked as the door gave way and he rapidly grabbed the handle to hold it in place until Ianto was ready to step inside. The rank stench hit them straight away. Ianto edged in first and once off the street he pulled out his gun and Matt was quick to follow him in closing the door behind them. The hallway was too narrow for them to move side by side so Ianto went first and Matt came forwards and aimed his gun up the flight of stairs as Ianto went in through the first doorway on their left.

As he stepped through he gagged on the foul odour, the room was almost empty, light filtering through mildewed net curtains and coming to rest on a lone chair in which sat a man, who hummed and buzzed as hundreds of flies crawled over his decaying putrid flesh. Ianto hesitated as his gut clenched, but gathering himself he stepped forwards to the front to get a better look. Who ever it was had been dead for some time. On the floor at his feet sat a box with wires attached and as Ianto leant forwards he saw a display light up, numbers counting down.... 10, 9, 8, shit!

"Get out! Matt, get the fuck out now!"

They ran.


	19. Chapter 19

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: PART 19**

Ianto knew, before Jack had even opened his mouth to speak. All he could do was lie there as water leaked from his eyes, he could not even cry out with the tube still down his throat as it was. The ceiling was the only thing in view because the neck brace prevented him from moving his head.

"I'm so sorry Ianto." Jack was well aware of how inadequate that sentence was and Ianto's body was too broken for him to be held to keep the grief at bay. He had to settle for squeezing the young man's hand and hope that he could feel the contact. He took a brief concerned glance at the heart monitor and then settled his gaze back to Ianto's bruised face, looking so ghoulish with blemishes on his normally alabaster skin. It took great force of will not to break down himself.

"I'm so sorry."

Jack carefully wiped away the salty tears from Ianto's cheeks, making his movements slow and deliberate so as not to startle him. "It's gonna be OK, I promise you." It was a terrible lie, but Jack really didn't know what else to do.

Jack was distracted by the sound of Owen entering the room cluttered with life supporting medical equipment and Owen came round it all to the opposite side of the bed, penlight in hand.

"Hey Ianto, mate. I need to check you over ok."

Jack marvelled at the gentleness in Owen's usually acerbic voice and watched as he carefully flashed a light into Ianto's watery gaze.

"Alright mate. We're gonna take that tube out soon so you can talk to Jack, but you've got some serious injuries so you're not going to be able to move, can you squeeze Jack's hand if you understand me?"

Jack felt the pressure on his fingers and nodded at Owen. The medic heaved out a sigh of relief.

"Ok Ianto, take it easy mate. I'll be back shortly."

Ianto watched as Owen disappeared from his view of the ceiling. He wanted to scream out the painful pressure of his sorrow building up in his chest and realised that in reality it was probably broken ribs that were hurting. He could hear murmured voices off to his left, Jack and Owen, talking about him no doubt and he allowed himself to drift on the edge of his fears and sadness before he saw Jack's face over shadowing his own.

"Yan, Owen needs to take that tube out so that you can breathe on your own, it's gonna hurt a bit because we need to sit you up, well the nurses are gonna do that anyway. Just hang on for me, ok?"

His soothing tones filtered in and Ianto fixed his gaze on Jack's beautiful blues like a man drowning. Jack baulked at the plain terror there but held his look and hitched a smile. "You're gonna be fine Yan, just fine."

Five minutes later and Jack was forced to stand back and let the medical staff do their work under Owen's supervision. Jack took the opportunity to ring Cardiff and update the girls on what was happening.

"Hey Tosh." Jack had one hand in his hair, rubbing at his scalp, an old stress habit of his. "Ianto woke up, he's still in pretty bad shape, not sure when we'll be able to transfer him to Cardiff yet..... no....... no..... I was planning on staying, the police here want our help anyway, half the street got blown apart. Yeah I know.... no Tosh it was not.... yeah....ok.......sure, I'll keep you posted. You have any problems down there, call UNIT I do not want either you or Gwen out in the field alone. Yeah... ok, don't worry I'll tell him." He looked up as Owen came out of the room with Ianto's charts in his hands. "Gotta go Tosh!" He hung up and faced Owen.

"How is he?"

Owen gestured to a relatives room behind where Jack was standing and they went inside.

Owen sat there and rubbed at his forehead. "Ok, the good news is, his spine is ok despite the bruising, amazingly he should get full use and sensation back once the swelling has gone down. He has broken 4 ribs and cracked the rest of them, so he's going to hurt for a long while, the left lung is still a bit dodgy, but the drain should sort that out. There's the usual, cuts and bruises and some minor burns, he was lucky Jack."

"I doubt he sees it that way. Matt's cause of death?"

"Broken neck, the force of the blast blew them both across the street apparently. Matt hit a parked car, head first. Ianto didn't. If it's any consolation, he probably didn't feel a thing." Owen closed the file in his hand.

"When can we move Ianto?"

"I've arranged for a UNIT air ambulance to transfer him back to Cardiff the day after tomorrow, I'll be riding with him. Becca from UNIT is going to drive Ianto's car back down south for us."

Jack nodded. "Thank you Owen."

"Did you tell him about Matt?"

Jack sighed. "I didn't need to, he already knew."

Owen shook his head. "This is the last thing he needs. Do you want me to handle contacting Matt's family?

Jack shook his head. "I'll deal with it but the FBI have already spoken to Matt's partner, can I go back in and sit with Ianto now?"

It was that tremulous tone that suddenly made Owen acknowledge just how shaken Jack was. He briefly grasped Jack's arm.

"He'll be ok Jack."

Jack sighed rising to his feet. "Physically maybe."

"Just be there for him Jack. What are we going to do about this investigation?"

"I don't know. I guess the Bureau will want to take it over, hopefully between them and UNIT and our intel they can sort it out. Either way we're dropping it."

Owen couldn't fault the decision. "Wise move Jack, the police have still got a hand in the jar as well, may as well hand it over to people with more resources." Like it needed justifying. "Anyway go and talk to Ianto, he's waiting for you."

They'd moved him into a semi reclining position, the neck brace was still in place and Ianto looked distinctly uncomfortable with the morphine pump gripped tightly in his left hand, his eyes half closed and mouth partially open under the oxygen mask. To Jack it looked as though he wasn't breathing, until he had sat there long enough to see the faint rise and fall of Ianto's crushed chest. The skin, where it wasn't cut and bruised was sallow and Jack cautious lay his fingers over the ones clasped around the drug pump.

Ianto's eyes fluttered open and something that could have been speech escaped his dry lips. Jack leant in closer lifting the mask aside.

"What is it Yan?"

"Water?"

Jack obliged by carefully feeding him a couple of ice chips.

"Thank you."

Ianto was glad to find his voice again, no matter how weak. "Where am I Jack?"

"Derby Royal infirmary, the intensive care unit." Jack replied going back to holding his lover's hand.

"It was a bomb Jack, there was a man in the house he......."

"SShhh Ianto, it's ok. Don't worry about now."

The tears flooded again. "Matt, is he gone Jack? Is he really gone?"

"Yes, he is. His partner, Simon has been notified and the FBI are arranging for his body to be sent back to the States."

Ianto closed his eyes and wiped the tears away from his face with a wince of pain, everything hurt so much, too much. His arm dropped back down to his side.

"I want to go home."

"You can't for the time being, we'll be moving you to Cardiff in a couple of days and only if the doctors say you're well enough to handle the journey. Owen's organised it with UNIT, but you're gonna be on medical leave for a while." Jack explained gently caressing the cold fingers under his warm hand.

"How bad is it?" Ianto's voice was so quiet that Jack had to lean forward again to hear him.

"Lots of broken ribs and spinal bruising."

"Is that why my feet are numb?"

"I guess."

The barriers were down and this time Ianto just cried, hitching agonising breaths. Jack didn't know what to do so he fell back on his gentle caressing of Ianto's arm and singing quietly, some old song that Estelle used to sing to him. It wasn't enough, not nearly and Jack was quietly relieved when the sobs trailed off into fitfull sleep. He released Ianto's hand and gently slipped the Oxygen mask back in place, sighing unhappily when he discovered there was little else he could do. He was disturbed by a knock on the door and the appearance of a young woman Jack vaguely recognised as Ianto's sister Rhiannon. He watched as she sucked in a shocked breath, before stepping into the room.

"Oh my God; Ianto." It was breathed out, almost musically through her strong Welsh accent. She swept forwards and settled herself opposite Jack merely giving him a polite as she took her brother's hand. "Oh, Ianto."

Jack wondered who had contacted Ianto's family and supposed it must have been Gwen, in case of the worst happening. Finally the woman met his gaze, Ianto's eyes staring straight into his, maybe her lashes were longer, perhaps that was the light of mascara, she was as beautiful as her brother.

"Who are you?"

Jack extended his hand across Ianto's sleeping form and she briefly grasped it.

"Captain Jack Harkness ma'am. Ianto's boss."

"I knew the tourist shop job was a load of bull. What happened, and I want the truth, not that crap that the police woman spun me this morning." Her gaze fell back to her sibling.

"He was involved in a criminal investigation, he and a colleague were victims of a bomb blast." Hide the lies in the truth... well sort of. Ianto had told him once how smart his sister actually was... made Ianto look like a village idiot. Rhi seemed to freeze, then she swept her trailing hair back behind her ear and looked back at Jack, sympathetic this time.

"Your colleague?"

"Didn't make it. You may have known him Matt Carter?"

Rhi's eyes widened. "Oh, that's not good. I thought Matt was in the States."

"He was, he came over here as part of the investigation."

She nodded. "You're not going to tell me about it though are you."

"Classified, sorry." Jack rose to his feet. "I was going for coffee, did you want anything?" She must have just arrived from Newport.

"Yes, coffee and a sandwich would be nice." She rummaged in her bag for her purse but Jack waved off the offer of cash.

"I got it. Be back in a while." He walked away and then hesitated by the door. "If he wakes, he's pretty upset. Tell him Jack won't be gone long, I know he'll ask."

Rhi nodded and returned her attention to her brother.

The moment he was out of the door Jack pulled his mobile from his pocket and dialled Gwen's number. She picked up straight away.

"Hi there Jack, how's things?"

"Fine, what did you tell Ianto's family?" He demanded.

"Er nothing, why I was expecting you to call them, what's happened?"

Jack was frowning. "His sister is here. Must've been the local police."

"Is everything alright Jack?"

"Yep, it's just bloody wonderful." He hung up and then immediately cursed himself for being bitchy with Gwen, it was hardly her fault. His phone rang. It was Gwen.

"Jack....."

"Sorry Gwen... I'm just...."

"It's ok Jack, really. I just wanted to check that there was nothing Tosh and I could do at this end."

Jack smiled, grateful to her on a whole number of levels at that moment. "Yeah, get together all the case notes and evidence and have them sent to Major Grigson at UNIT, we're gonna leave them to sort it out with the Feds about how they want to proceed and get Tosh to destroy the UNIT that used on Ianto's phone.... put it in the incinerator I don't want to risk anyone experimenting with it and putting him in danger."

"We're ahead of you Jack, it's already been destroyed, I'll divert any calls from the Bureau to UNIT then, shall I?"

Jack nodded as leant against the wall next to a fire hose. "Yep, unless Simon Dempsey calls, put him through to me, he's Matt's partner. I think Ianto will want to talk to him at some point."

"Ok, anything else?"

"No, Gwen.... that's it thank you."

"Alright Jack, give Ianto our love and bring him home as soon as you can."

"Yeah, will do. Good bye Gwen."

"See ya Jack."

Right then, coffee. Jack wandered off to find the nearest Starbucks.


	20. Chapter 20

**THE SOUND OF SNOW: FINAL**

"Drop it Jack, I'm going and that's final!" Ianto glowered, his face flushed from the extremely painful effort involved in getting dressed. Jack was standing back, refusing to help as an act of protest as much as anything.

"Owen made it quite clear that you are not fit enough to fly."

"I am not missing the funeral." Ianto perched himself on the edge of the hospital bed and tried to bend down to get his shoe on. "Fuck!" He spat in a very un-Iantonian way. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain and let out a sob of frustration. Jack wanted to help him, but he held back equally wanting to make a point. However, unable to watch Ianto's distress any further he finally caved and moved forwards to help him.

"Ianto, please. I know how you feel, I really do, but this is crazy and I will not sit back and watch you kill yourself. You shouldn't even be leaving the hospital, let alone contemplating flying to America." He kneeled down and held Ianto's trainers so he could slip his feet in, then Jack tied the laces. "Yan, please listen to me."

Ianto sighed and tried desperately not to sag his tired body because he knew that would hurt even more.

"I want to go Jack."

Jack straightened up and sat down beside him, grasping Ianto's left hand at the same time.

"As soon as you're fit to travel, we'll go over to the States together, but I can't let you go like this."

Ianto winced as he leant into Jack's side.

"Are you ordering me not to go?"

Jack kissed the top of his head. "I'm asking."

Ianto felt his defences slide down altogether. "I just..... I'm responsible Jack.... for what happened to him. I called him and he came running."

"He was doing his job."

Ianto shook his head. "He came because I asked him, because he actually thought that he and I...... that I'd. He said he'd give up what he had for me. It's my fault Jack."

Jack knew that he wouldn't be able to convince Ianto otherwise, so he didn't try. "Like I said, we'll go over together.... once you've recovered."

Ianto relented, Jack was right of course and Owen would kill him if he died on a plane half way over the Atlantic, the paperwork would be a nightmare.

"What's the news on the case?" He could feel Jack's fingers gently caressing his own, almost absently.

"The FBI and UNIT are handling it, it's no longer our problem, though the Bureau want a statement from you about what happened to Matt."

Ianto nodded. "Fine." Though it really wasn't.

"Can I go home Jack? I really don't want to be here anymore."

"Only if you promise me that you'll behave and not do anything stupid. You've got all your ribs fractured and countless bruises so you have to rest."

Ianto closed his eyes comforted by Jack's presence beside him. It had been a long time since he had felt this vulnerable and he was tired of being the stoic machine everyone thought he was, everyone except Jack.

"I'm sorry for being a pain in the arse Jack."

Jack squeezed his hand, wishing he could hug him tightly. "Yeah, but you're my pain in the arse.... in every sense.... Come on lets get you home. Then Owen can come round and bitch at me for letting you out of hospital."

**AN: This is the end of part one of this set of stories.... part two will follow after season three has aired in case I need any other canon things to be taken into account..... for now I have to finish 'Faith Manages' part three of the Fallen Angel series.......**

**Thank you once again 'you're brilliant'!**


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